At one time, it was thought that positive charge was spread throughout the atom. This was the plum–pudding model. Rutherford's experiment to test this theory involved shooting positively charged particles toward the atom. Describe what the results of this experiment would have been if the plum-pudding model were correct.

Question

anonymous · Answer

So what was the outcome of the Rutherford experiment, and why were those the results?

anonymous · Answer

I don't remember learning this so I couldn't tell ya.

anonymous · Answer

The Rutherford experiment shot alpha particles at a incredibly thin gold foil - most of the alpha particles passed through, but a small percentage were shot back towards the source.  This showed that atoms were made of mostly empty space  because the alpha particles generally didn't hit anything (leading to the current understanding that electrons (discrete negative charges) orbit around a central nucleus (discrete positive charges)).

If the charge distribution weren't concentrated into tiny packets (electrons and nuclei), and instead spread out over the entire volume of the atom (a large spread of positive charge with little electrons sitting in it like raisins in a pudding), what would happen as the alpha particles (positive charges) were shot at the foil?  Would they pass through? Bounce off? Be absorbed? Make geese appear?