Rutherford Tracked The Motion Of Tiny, Positively Charged Particles Shot Through A Thin Sheet Of Gold Foil. Some Particles Traveled In A Straight Line And Some Were Deflected At Different Angles.. Before 1910, ernest rutherford and many other scientists had the idea that the positive charge and the mass of an atom were evenly distributed throughout the whole atom, with electrons. Rutherford's gold foil experiment led him to the conclusion that atoms are mostly empty space, with a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center.

Some particles traveled in a straight line and some were deflected at different angles. Before 1910, ernest rutherford and many other scientists had the idea that the positive charge and the mass of an atom were evenly distributed throughout the whole atom, with electrons. Rutherford tracked the motion of tiny, positively charged particles shot through a thin sheet of gold foil.