Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment Deductions Steps:

• Most α-particles pass undeflected, showing atoms consist mostly of empty space.
• Small-angle deflections result from interactions with diffuse electrons.
• Rare large-angle deflections occur from close encounters with a dense, positively charged core.
• The experiment infers a positive nucleus but reveals no details on its substructure.

Why C is correct:

• The 1911 experiment shows nuclear positive charge via α-particle repulsion but does not identify protons, discovered later through hydrogen nucleus studies.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Large deflections of massive α-particles demand concentrated mass in the nucleus for significant momentum transfer.
• B: Low frequency of large scatters implies the nucleus has a tiny cross-sectional area relative to the atom.
• D: Not enough information.

Final answer: C