Diagram illustrates the path of an alpha particle, depicted by a straight beam that enters through a slit to a piece of foil located in a circle. There, the beam fans out to various points within the circle. The expected results of the alpha particles are drawn to the side, shown by rows of straight lines intersecting circles that represent gold atoms. The actual results are drawn beneath them, showing the straight lines veering into various directions, and not always intersecting the atoms. The labels on the diagram are as follows:

• Beam of alpha particles
• Source of alpha particles
• Slit
• Screen
• Gold foil
• Deflected particle
• Undeflected particle
• Angle between the deflected and undeflected particles is 90 degree
• Expected results
• Gold atoms
• Actual results
• Nucleus