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What does the planetary model of the atom, proposed by Rutherford, picture?
AElectrons packed at the center, no nucleus
BA nucleus made entirely of electrons
CProtons orbiting a central electron
DLow-mass electrons orbiting a small, massive nucleus
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Low-mass electrons orbiting a small, massive nucleus
1. The planetary model pictures low-mass electrons orbiting a nucleus that holds almost all of the atom's mass.
2. This is analogous to how low-mass planets orbit a much larger-mass sun.
3. Electrons are not packed at the center, and a nucleus is not made of electrons.
4. Protons do not orbit an electron in this model, since the nucleus, not an electron, sits at the center.
5. So low-mass electrons orbiting a massive nucleus 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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