Rutherford bombarded gold foil with alpha ($\alpha$) particles and found that a small percentage of the particles were deflected. Which of the following was not accounted for by the model he proposed for the structure of atoms?
A) the small size of the nucleus
B) the charge on the nucleus
C) the total mass of the atom
D) the existence of protons
E) the presence of electrons outside the nucleus

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rutherford's model proposed that atoms have a very small and dense nucleus that contains most of the mass of the atom, while electrons orbit the nucleus outside. The deflection of alpha particles in his gold foil experiment supported this model. The model accounted for the small size and charge of the nucleus, the existence of protons (although they were not yet discovered at the time), and the presence of electrons outside the nucleus. However, the total mass of the atom was not specifically accounted for by his model.

Rutherford Bombarded Gold Foil with Alpha α\alphaα ) Particles and Found That a Small Percentage of the and Found

Rutherford Bombarded Gold Foil with Alpha $\alpha$ ) Particles and Found That a Small Percentage of the and Found