Rutherford's Model of the Atom

Ernest Rutherford was a physicist from New Zealand who studied at Cambridge
University under Thomson. It was his later work at the University of Manchester which
would provide further insights into the insides of an atom. This work came after he had
already received a Nobel Prize in 1908 for his investigations into the chemistry of radioactive
substances.
Rutherford model, also called nuclear atom or planetary model of the atom, description of
the structure of atoms proposed (1911) by the New Zealand-born physicist Ernest
Rutherford. The model described the atom as a tiny, dense, positively charged core called a
nucleus, in which nearly all the mass is concentrated, around which the light, negative
constituents, called electrons, circulate at some distance, much like planets revolving
around the Sun.
Rutherford’s discovery of the nucleus meant the atomic model needed a rethink. He
proposed a model where the electrons orbit the positively charged nucleus. While this was
an improvement on Thomson’s model, it didn’t explain what kept the electrons orbiting
instead of simply spiralling into the nucleus.

Definition of the Rutherford Model

In many ways, the Rutherford model of the atom is the classic model of the atom, even
though it's no longer considered an accurate representation. Rutherford's model shows
that an atom is mostly empty space, with electrons orbiting a fixed, positively charged
nucleus in set, predictable paths.