It was first discovered that atoms have a nucleus when
A) scientists photographed the nucleus of uranium.
B) Einstein hypothesized the existence of the nucleus in 1915.
C) some alpha particles were deflected by gold nuclei in Rutherford's experiment.
D) experiments showed that electrons must have a charge balance at an atom's center.
E) Rutherford split the nucleus of uranium atoms.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The discovery that atoms have a nucleus was first made by Ernest Rutherford in 1911 when he conducted the famous gold foil experiment. In this experiment, Rutherford shot alpha particles at a thin sheet of gold foil and observed that some of the particles were deflected, indicating that they had interacted with something small and dense. This led Rutherford to conclude that atoms have a small, positively charged nucleus at their center, which is surrounded by electrons.

It Was First Discovered That Atoms Have a Nucleus When