Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment
This simple model shows how alpha particles move when they hit a thin gold foil. Most pass straight through, but some bounce back — showing that atoms have a small, dense nucleus.
What We See
- Most alpha particles pass straight → atoms are mostly empty space.
- Some bend → they pass near the nucleus.
- A few bounce back → they hit the dense positive nucleus.
This simulation demonstrates Rutherford’s Gold Foil Experiment, showing how alpha particles interact with atomic structure.