Question

for many years, the atom was believed to be a solid particle of matter. in 1909, ernest rutherford conducted an experiment in which some subatomic particles passed through a solid sheet of gold foil. how did this new evidence change the model of the atom? it indicated the atom was not solid. it indicated that outer electrons could be removed from the atom. it indicated that the atom was neutral but had charged particles. it indicated the atom was made of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Explanation:

Rutherford's gold foil experiment involved firing alpha particles at a thin gold foil. Most particles passed through, suggesting the atom is mostly empty space, meaning it's not a solid, dense sphere as previously thought. The other options: removing outer electrons (not shown here), atom's neutrality with charged parts (this experiment focused on structure, not charge balance), and identifying protons/neutrons/electrons (this experiment led to the nuclear model, not detailed subatomic particles like neutrons which were discovered later) are incorrect.

Answer:

A. It indicated the atom was not solid.