Ernest Rutherford Accomplishments

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There were several scientific breakthroughs in the late nineteenth century that changed the history of events for years to come. Ernest Rutherford preformed the Gold Foil Experiment in 1899. There were three discoveries/models that had an impact on this experiment. First, was when J.J. Thompson discovered electrons in cathode rays and his plum pudding model. Second, was Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovery of x-rays. Lastly, is the model of an atom by Niehls Bohr. Each of these scientific had a factor in the creation of the Gold Foil Experiment. Rutherford preformed the experiment in 1899, when the atom was just a nucleolus and nothing else like electrons, protons, or neutrons. Ernest Rutherford was born on August 30, 1871 in Bridgewater, New …show more content…

Thompson's Plum Pudding Model. Rutherford's main motivation for this experiment was simply his desire to discover or to learn more about the atom. He wanted to study and Lear about the effects of alpha particles on matter, but first, he had to discover a way to count the individual particles. This led to the discovery of Gold Foil Experiment. This experiment discovered the nucleus of the atom. Through this experiment, Rutherford disproved J.J. Thompson's Plum Pudding Model, and allowed people could better understand the structure and function of the atom. Also, it motivated other scientists to study the atom more fluently. The results of Rutherford's experiments are still considered valid, but we now know that the nucleus is also composed of neutrons, thanks to experiments James Chadwick, and not just protons and electrons. Niels Bohr came up with the idea of electron shells, which explains how and why chemicals react, and where electrons are located in atom. The conclusions of the Gold Foil Experiment represent one of the most pivotal scientific discoveries in human history. It enhanced mankind's understanding of how all matter in the universe is structured at the fundamental level and consequently affected every scientific and engineering discipline. Like most scientific models, Rutherford's atomic model was not perfect or complete. Based on classical Newtonian physics, it was impossible. Accelerating