Exam-style question
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What key experimental observation led Rutherford to reject the plum‑pudding model in favour of a nuclear model of the atom?.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- The observation that a small fraction of alpha particles were deflected through angles greater than 90°, indicating a concentrated positive charge in a tiny nucleus.
Explanation
Why this works
This question checks recall of the specific scattering result that contradicted the plum‑pudding model and required a new nuclear hypothesis. It assesses the student’s grasp of how experimental data drives model change.
Common mistake
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