Rutherford’s Experiment

Jaela O’Meara

Objective
Discover how physical properties such as size and shape of an object can be measured by
indirect means.
Background
Rutherford developed his model of the nuclear atom using the scattering of alpha particles by
gold foil. He was unable to see the atoms, much less the nucleus, but was able to infer the size
and shape of the nucleus. In this experiment, various shapes (nuclei) are hidden beneath boards.
You will use marbles as your “alpha particle” in order to get an idea about the challenge
Rutherford faced.
Procedure
1. Go to one of the stations containing a board with a shape hidden underneath. Do not look
under the board!
2. Roll a marble under the board from various directions and observe where it comes out.
3. Place a sheet of paper on the board and trace the entry and exit path for each roll of the
marble.
4. Continue rolling the marble until you think you know the size and shape of the object. Draw a
full-size sketch of the object on the paper. Do not look under the board until you have drawn
your sketch.
5. Look under the board and, if necessary, using a different color pen or pencil, draw a sketch of
the actual shape.
6. Repeat the procedure for the other 3 boards.
Data: Draw the shape you predict that exists under the board by looking at the path taken by the
marbles in all their trajectories before looking and then after looking under the board.

Before:  After:

Given the scribbling and the line After looking under, the shape is a
drawing, the shape appears to be a hexagon.
trapezoid or a square.

Analysis

1. How does this experiment simulate early efforts to determine the structure of the atom? In
what ways is it different?
This experiment simulates how Rutherford used alpha particles to attempt to figure out the structure of the atom. It’s
different because my table was able to see the shape under the board, unlike Rutherford who had to assume what an
atom looked like.
2. You eventually had the satisfaction of seeing the shape under the board.
a) Did early scientists have this same opportunity?
Early scientists did not have the opportunity to view what atoms looked like due to the lack of
technology, as well as how small the alpha particles and atoms were.

b) Do scientists today have this opportunity?

Scientists today have the opportunity of viewing the atoms because technological advancements
like microscopes and lenses where scientists can see the structure of the atom and what it looks
like, not like back then when scientists had to assume by using blind experiments, and
assumptions

Discussion: Matching

Rutherford’s Experiment Our Experiment

1. thin gold foil a. hidden shape under board

2. alpha particles b. students following path of marble with crayon

3. detecting screen c. marbles

4. nucleus of atom d. plywood board

Conclusion: Write about Rutherford’s Experiment. What two things did he learn from
interpreting the results of his experiment? Write using complete sentences.

Two things Rutherford determined was that atoms are majorly composed of empty space, and
that most of its mass is centered on the nucleus of the atom, which concludes why it’s impossible
to see, and why the structure of it had to be