alleryStart learning →About how many alpha particles were scattered straight backward in Rutherford's gold foil experiment?
A1 in 8 particles
B1 in 800 particles
C1 in 8,000 particles
D1 in 8,000,000 particles
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. 1 in 8,000 particles
1. Rutherford's experiment showed that only a small fraction of alpha particles scattered straight back.
2. That fraction is given as 1 in 8,000 particles.
3. 1 in 8 or 1 in 800 would suggest far too much backscattering for a mostly empty atom.
4. 1 in 8,000,000 is far smaller than the fraction actually reported.
5. So 1 in 8,000 is correct.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Atom", section 22.1 The Structure of the Atom_
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