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Rutherford Alpha-Scattering Experiment
Experiment: Small, dense, positively charged alpha particles emitted from radium aimed at gold foil. Circular, zinc-sulfide screen registered the deflection (scattering) of the alpha particles by emitting light flashes when the particles struck it.
Results: Only 1/20,000 deflected by more than 90 degrees.
Conclusion: Only few alpha particles were being repelled by something small, dense, and positive within gold atoms. Atom is mostly space occupied by electrons. In the center is a tiny region, which Rutherford called the nucleus. Nucleus contains all the positive charge and essentially all the mass of the atom.