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In the experiment, Rutherford found the nucleus using gold foil.
because he used a thin sheet of gold foil.
Because he used a gold foil (the only metal that can be hammered into a 1 atom thick foil without tearing) in an attempt to scatter alpha particles.
The unexpected result that instead of all of the alpha particles scattering through small forward angles, a few bounced almost directly back to the source. This made the Thompson "plum pudding" model of the atom unworkable and suggested that each atom had a tiny "infinitely hard" kernel somewhere inside it. Rutherford named this kernel the nucleus.
Virgil Connelly
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago1. It is used because gold was known to be a very inert element.
2. The use of gold had nothing to do with its reactivity, any more than the experiment had any connection to chemistry. Rutherford wanted to fire alpha particles through the foil. Alpha particles are not very penetrating; a sheet of notepaper will stop most of them. To achieve a reasonable percentage of penetration the foil needed to be really thin.
Gold is highly malleable; gold leaf can be made in thicknesses around 100 nm or 4 micro-inch. It was the best material for the job.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoIt is because gold is soft and most malleable metal and can be made into very thin sheets.
Rutherford experiment consisted of bombardment of Alpha particles at the sheet of any substance.So, he wanted a sheet as thin as possible and gold foil was the most suitable choice for it. :):):) hope this helps
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoAll elements are used in Rutherford's atomic model. Gold was used in the key experiment that Rutherford and Soddy used to develop the model. Gold was used for those experiments because it is relatively easy to flatten into a very thin sheet.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agodue to its large atomic number
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoi dont know why!
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Why is Rutherford's experiment called the gold foil experiment?
In the experiment, Rutherford found the nucleus using gold foil.because he used a thin sheet of gold foil.Because he used a gold foil (the only metal that can be hammered into a 1 atom thick foil without tearing) in an attempt to scatter alpha particles.The unexpected result that instead of all of the alpha particles scattering through small forward angles, a few bounced almost directly back to the source. This made the Thompson "plum pudding" model of the atom unworkable and suggested that each atom had a tiny "infinitely hard" kernel somewhere inside it. Rutherford named this kernel the nucleus.
What material did Rutherford use in his famous experiment?
Rutherford's experimenters were Hans Geiger, and Ernest Marsden, both of whom went on to have worthwhile science careers. The metal foil used in the Rutherford experiments was gold, for this foil amy be made extremely thin by careful beating, whilst still being imperforate.
How do we use Rutherford's gold foil experiment today?
The Rutherford gold foil experiment is also known as the Geiger-Marsden experiments. In them, alpha particle scattering was measured, and showed how a large focus was found in such a way as to describe atoms having a dense nucleus. This experiment is not used for much today in any field other than focused particle physics, wherein it is the basis of most other calculations involving how atoms work.
Who used gold foil to help understand the structure of an atom?
Rutherfordium (#104), named for Ernest Rutherford.
If Rutherford made bombarded aluminum foil with alpha particles instead of gold foil what observations would he have used?
The scattering angles would have changed, but the qualitative results would also change: the reason Rutherford chose gold was because it is EXTREMELY malleable. One can stretch gold foil until it is only a few atoms thick in places, which is not possible with aluminum. If the foil were too thick, there would be no transmission of particles at all; the whole point was to demonstrate that most alpha particles passed through unchanged, but some of them scattered, which is only possible with a VERY thin foil.
Who used the gold foil experiment?
Ernest Rutherford used the gold foil experiment in 1908 .
Who used polonium and gold foil in his famous experiment?
Rutherford supervised the experiment in his famous beta particle scatter experiment with gold foil, so he is given credit.
What experiment convinced Ernest Rutherford thet atom has a small positively charged nucleus?
Rutherford used the gold foil experiment to figure out that an atom had charged particles in the nucleus
What would be the result of Rutherford gold foil experiment if electrons were used in place of alpha partilces?
The electrons would have been attracted to the atomic nuclei of the gold foil.
Who used the gold foil experiment to determine the atom is mostly empty space?
Ernest Rutherford did this experiment in 1909 with Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden.
Why is Rutherford's experiment called the gold foil experiment?
In the experiment, Rutherford found the nucleus using gold foil.because he used a thin sheet of gold foil.Because he used a gold foil (the only metal that can be hammered into a 1 atom thick foil without tearing) in an attempt to scatter alpha particles.The unexpected result that instead of all of the alpha particles scattering through small forward angles, a few bounced almost directly back to the source. This made the Thompson "plum pudding" model of the atom unworkable and suggested that each atom had a tiny "infinitely hard" kernel somewhere inside it. Rutherford named this kernel the nucleus.
What material did Rutherford use in his famous experiment?
Rutherford's experimenters were Hans Geiger, and Ernest Marsden, both of whom went on to have worthwhile science careers. The metal foil used in the Rutherford experiments was gold, for this foil amy be made extremely thin by careful beating, whilst still being imperforate.
Why is Rutherford' experiment called the gold foil experiment?
In the experiment, Rutherford found the nucleus using gold foil.because he used a thin sheet of gold foil.Because he used a gold foil (the only metal that can be hammered into a 1 atom thick foil without tearing) in an attempt to scatter alpha particles.The unexpected result that instead of all of the alpha particles scattering through small forward angles, a few bounced almost directly back to the source. This made the Thompson "plum pudding" model of the atom unworkable and suggested that each atom had a tiny "infinitely hard" kernel somewhere inside it. Rutherford named this kernel the nucleus.
Why was a vacuum used for Rutherford's gold foil experiment?
They used a vacuum because the air particles in normal conditions would interfere with the trajectory of the Alpha particles, thus disrupting results.
How do we use Rutherford's gold foil experiment today?
The Rutherford gold foil experiment is also known as the Geiger-Marsden experiments. In them, alpha particle scattering was measured, and showed how a large focus was found in such a way as to describe atoms having a dense nucleus. This experiment is not used for much today in any field other than focused particle physics, wherein it is the basis of most other calculations involving how atoms work.
Why rutherfords experiment called the gold foil experiment?
In the experiment, Rutherford found the nucleus using gold foil.because he used a thin sheet of gold foil.Because he used a gold foil (the only metal that can be hammered into a 1 atom thick foil without tearing) in an attempt to scatter alpha particles.The unexpected result that instead of all of the alpha particles scattering through small forward angles, a few bounced almost directly back to the source. This made the Thompson "plum pudding" model of the atom unworkable and suggested that each atom had a tiny "infinitely hard" kernel somewhere inside it. Rutherford named this kernel the nucleus.
Why did the path of only some alpha particles deviate in Rutherford experiment?
Alpha particles are positively charged helium nuclei. As such, they are repelled by other positively-charged nuclei. In Rutherford's experiment, he used gold foil. Since gold atoms have large, massive nuclei, the alpha particles were easily repelled by the large gold atom nuclei, and they were scattered in different directions.
