In Rutherford's α-particle scattering experiment, the principal conclusion was that:
AAtoms are indivisible spheres
BElectrons orbit in fixed shells
CMass and charge sit in a tiny nucleus
DEnergy is quantised in atoms
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Mass and charge sit in a tiny nucleus
1. A small fraction of α-particles bounced almost straight back from a thin gold foil.
2. This required a very small, dense, positively charged centre — the nucleus.
3. Most α-particles passed undeviated, so the atom is mostly empty space.
4. Quantisation came from Bohr (1913), not Rutherford.
_Source: NCERT Class 11 Chem Ch 2 §2.2 Atomic Models — Rutherford_
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