 Rutherford scattering

Rutherford scattering is a phenomenon observed in the early 20th century that provided critical insights into the structure of the atom. It was first conducted by the physicist Ernest Rutherford in 1909 during experiments designed to investigate the properties of atomic structure, particularly the nucleus. In the experiment, Rutherford directed a beam of alpha particles (which are positively charged helium nuclei) at a thin foil of gold.