Question

which describes ernest rutherfords experiment?
positive particles are fired at gold foil. most bounce back, but some pass through.
negative particles are fired at gold foil. most bounce back, but some pass through.
positive particles are fired at gold foil. most pass through, but some bounce back.
negative particles are fired at gold foil. most pass through, but some bounce back.

Explanation:

Ernest Rutherford's gold foil experiment involved firing alpha particles (which are positive) at a thin gold foil. The results showed that most alpha particles passed through the foil (indicating most of the atom is empty space), while a small fraction bounced back (indicating a dense, positive nucleus). So we analyze each option:

• First option: Says most bounce back, which is incorrect.
• Second option: Uses negative particles, but alpha particles are positive, so incorrect.
• Third option: Positive particles (alpha) fired, most pass through, some bounce back. This matches the experiment.
• Fourth option: Uses negative particles, incorrect.

Answer:

C. Positive particles are fired at gold foil. Most pass through, but some bounce back. (Note: Assuming the options are labeled A, B, C, D with C being the correct one as per the analysis. If the original options have different labels, adjust accordingly, but the content of the correct option is as stated.)