Rutherford Scattering: Discovering the Nucleus
Fire alpha particles at gold atoms and compare the plum pudding and nuclear models.
Fire alpha particles at gold atoms. Rutherford found that a few bounced straight back, so the atom has a tiny dense nucleus. Compare with the plum-pudding model.
About the Rutherford Scattering: Discovering the Nucleus
Free rutherford scattering: discovering the nucleus. Fire alpha particles at gold atoms and compare the plum pudding and nuclear models. Drag, change the sliders and see the result live. No sign-up, works on phone and computer. Built for atomic & quantum, the rutherford scattering: discovering the nucleus runs instantly in your browser: change a setting or drag an object and the result updates at once, so you learn by trying things out rather than only reading about them.
Fire alpha particles at gold atoms and compare the plum pudding and nuclear models. Use it to explore atomic & quantum ideas at your own pace, then check what you found against the key ideas further down this page.
How to use the Rutherford Scattering: Discovering the Nucleus
- Use the controls to change Atom model, Protons in nucleus, Alpha energy, Firing rate. The simulation reacts instantly.
- Pick an option such as Rutherford atom, Plum pudding to switch modes or load an example.
- Press "Clear tracks" to start, reset or change what is happening.
- Where you see a glowing handle, object, weight or atom, drag it with your mouse or finger. Everything responds in real time.
- Watch the readouts and graphs update as you experiment, and compare what you see with the key ideas below.
Things to try
- Compare the two models.
- Increase the protons.
- Lower the alpha energy to increase deflection.
Key ideas you can learn
- Most alpha particles pass straight through.
- A few are deflected by large angles.
- This showed a small, dense, positive nucleus.
- The plum pudding model cannot explain big deflections.
Where this is used in the real world
The nuclear model led to modern atomic physics, nuclear energy and particle accelerators.
Who is this simulation for?
Advanced high-school and university students in chemistry and physics, and curious learners who want to see how the atomic world behaves.
For teachers: project it on the board, let students predict what will happen, then run it together. For students: change one thing at a time and write down what changes.
Frequently asked questions
What did the gold foil experiment show?
Atoms are mostly empty space with a tiny, dense, positively charged nucleus.
Why do alpha particles bounce back?
They are repelled by the positive nucleus when they come very close.
Is the Rutherford Scattering: Discovering the Nucleus free to use?
Yes. It is completely free, with no signup, no download and no ads inside the simulation. It runs in your web browser.
Does the Rutherford Scattering: Discovering the Nucleus work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. It uses touch as well as the mouse, so you can drag objects with your finger. A larger screen makes the controls easier to see.