Question

Ernest Rutherford carried out his work on discovery of nucleus of an atom with:
A. silver foil experiment
B. gold foil experiment
C. $\alpha$-particle experiment
D. none of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Ernest Rutherford gave the atomic model by performing the experiment in which $\alpha$-particles are stroked on the thin film gold sheet by a radioactive source. He observed the deflection of particles by which he gave some assumptions regarding atoms.

Complete answer:J.J Thomson proposed a plum pudding model to describe the structure of an atom but it failed. After him another scientist named Ernest Rutherford performed an experiment by bombarding the $\alpha$-particles to the thin sheet of gold foil from a radioactive source to know the deflection formed by the $\alpha$-particles. He fixed a fluorescent screen which surrounds the gold foil.

The following observations were made after the experiment.
(i) Most of the $\alpha$-particles passed through the gold foil without getting deflected. This shows that major space available in the atom is empty.
(ii) Some of the $\alpha$-particles get deflected by small angles which shows that the particles with the positive charge available in the atom are present in a small area.
(iii) Very few $\alpha$-particles are deflected back by the angle of $180^\circ$ which shows that the positively charged particles are present in small quantities as compared to the total volume of the atom.
From the observations he made from the experiment, Rutherford discovered the atomic structure and gave a model called Rutherford atomic model.
According to the model:
(i) The area where the positively charged particles are present in the atom is called a nucleus.
(ii) According to the model, the negatively charged electrons move around the nucleus in a circular path which is known as orbit.
(iii) The negatively charged electrons and positively charged particles present in a small area in the atom are joined together by electrostatic force of attraction.
Thus, Ernest Rutherford carried out his work on discovery of the nucleus of an atom with gold foil experiment.
Therefore, the correct option is B.

Note:Rutherford atomic model does not tell about the stability of atoms. Calculation shows that the electrons available in the nucleus of the atom collapse within the nucleus in less than ${10^{ - 8}}$seconds.