* The atom is mostly empty space: The fact that most alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil without being deflected meant that the atom was not a solid, impenetrable sphere as previously thought. Instead, it must be mostly empty space.
* The atom has a small, dense, positively charged nucleus: The few alpha particles that were deflected at large angles indicated the presence of a very small, dense, positively charged region within the atom, which he named the nucleus. This nucleus is responsible for containing nearly all of the atom's mass.
* Electrons orbit the nucleus: Rutherford's model suggested that electrons orbit the nucleus like planets orbit the sun. However, this model was later revised by Bohr and others to account for the quantum nature of electrons.
In summary, Rutherford's experiment overturned the plum pudding model of the atom and led to the development of the nuclear model, which remains the basis of our understanding of atomic structure.
