Alpha-particle scattering

SOURCE ACTIVE
α particle
gold foil
ZnS screen
radioactive source spontaneous α emission thin gold foil Au atoms / nuclei fluorescent ZnS screen flashes at α-particle impacts α particles emitted at random times most particles pass through; a larger visible group is strongly deflected, while some rebound toward the source * Educational visualization These scattering percentages are intentionally increased above real Rutherford-scale frequencies so rare large-angle events are visible in a short run.
Result
Rutherford's key observation
Most alpha particles travel almost straight through the foil. A smaller fraction are deflected, while a noticeable minority in this educational simulation are scattered through very large angles or rebound. This makes the nuclear-scattering pattern easy to see.
End-of-run statistics
Passed through
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simulation not finished
Large-angle deflection
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Rebounded
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simulation not finished