alpha particle scattering

Question

In Rutherford's α-particle scattering experiment, most alpha particles pass through the gold foil undeflected because:

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1. **Observations**: Rutherford noted that $\approx 99.9\%$ of particles traveled straight through without changing direction.
2. **Inference**: If there were matter everywhere, the dense $\alpha$-particles would hit something. 
3. **Conclusion**: This proved that **most of the atom is empty space**.
4. **The Nucleus**: The rare deflections at large angles showed that positive charge and mass are concentrated in a tiny central core (the nucleus).

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alpha particle scattering

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