Modelling Rutherford's gold foil experiment

Before the discovery of radioactivity and alpha and beta particles, it was impossible to investigate the nucleus. Can you suggest why?

You will need

Tennis racquet

tennis ball

small ball bearing

sand

safety goggles

Do this activity outside.

Throw a a tennis ball at a tennis racquet. The ball bounces easily off the racquet head. If you could not see the racquet but just the ball travelling toward and away what could you conclude?

Changed the tennis ball to a small ball bearing. Does it go through? Could it?

Put on your safety goggles

Change the ball bearing for a handful of sand? Does it all go through?

Humans thought everything was solid because our tools to explore where too large. When our tools became sub-atomic, the nature of the atom revealed itself....

One of the surprise results of Rutherford's gold foil experiment was that every once and a while an alpha particle bounced back from the gold foil.

1. What does the activity show you about the nature of matter?

2. Why did Rutherford have to use a very thin foil?

3. What did Rutherford expect to happen? Why?

4. What did happen?

5. What conclusion did Rutherford make about this?