Most alpha particles fired at a gold foil pass through undeflected because the
A)electric field is zero inside the gold.
B)gold atoms,unlike most other metal atoms,are relatively far apart.
C)atoms of gold,like any others,are mostly empty space.
D)net charge of the gold atoms is zero.
E)none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The majority of the mass of an atom is concentrated in its nucleus, and the vast majority of the volume of an atom is empty space. When alpha particles approach the dense nucleus of a gold atom, most of them pass through undeflected because they do not come close enough to interact with the positively charged nucleus. Therefore, the most likely explanation for why most alpha particles pass through undeflected is that atoms of gold, like any other atom, are mostly empty space.

Most Alpha Particles Fired at a Gold Foil Pass Through