So how would the atomic model look now after the results of the gold foil experiment? We know that the positive charge of the atom is no longer evenly distributed throughout the atom as the Plum Pudding Model had suggested; the positive charge is now centralized in the small dense nucleus.
Then where are the electrons? The electrons must be somewhere in the empty space that surrounds the nucleus. Therefore, the Rutherford model of the atom could be represented by the model to the top right, which is referred to as the planetary model.
However, the planetary model is fundamentally flawed. There is no way that the electrons could be orbiting around the nucleus as the planets revolve around the Sun. Since the negative electron is revolving around a positive nucleus, the laws of physics state that the electron would continuously emit energy. The electron would start to lose energy in its orbit, causing it to slow down and eventually collide with the nucleus. We know that the atom is stable, so the electrons placed in orbits must be incorrect; however, his nuclear view of the atom remains central to atomic theory today.
