Rutherford scattering

Geiger and Marsden - (1909) working under Rutherford were allowing alpha particles to hit gold foil. They were looking for scattered alpha particles by noting tiny flashes on a scintillation counter - (a ZnS screen). They found a few very large deflections and an occasional alpha particle came straight back! It was like seeing a truck thrown off course by a chicken. They had discovered the nucleus. That, changed our ideas for ever.

> More