Rutherford’s atomic model differs from Thomson’s primarily in the arrangement of positive and negative charges within an atom. Thomson’s model, often called the “plum pudding” model, proposed a positively charged sphere with negatively charged electrons embedded within it. Rutherford’s model, on the other hand, introduced the concept of a small, dense, positively charged nucleus at the center of the atom, with electrons orbiting around it.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Thomson’s Model:
Atom is a uniformly positively charged sphere.
Negatively charged electrons are embedded within this sphere, like plums in pudding.
Electrically neutral, as the positive and negative charges are equal in magnitude.
Rutherford’s Model:
Atom has a small, positively charged nucleus at its center.
Negatively charged electrons orbit this nucleus.
Most of the atom’s mass is concentrated in the nucleus.
The atom is mostly empty space.