Evidence Revealing the Composition of the Atom

Investigators use indirect evidence to guess what is occupying a sealed box. You could also use a set of plastic Easter eggs to encase the unknown items. Another terrific activity involves having students drop a pencil on a sheet of scattered pennies, in a large-scale way modeling the Rutherford experiment. This is just a sample of the learning experiences explained in this mini-unit. It is a highly valuable addition to your chemistry curriculum for introducing atomic structure.