Rutherford Atomic Model

Rutherford's atomic model (1908) was the result of the Geiger-Marsden experiment, which suggested a nuclear model of the atom in which a very small and dense center of positive charge - the nucleus - was surrounded by a very large volume of practically empty space that contained the electrons - their distribution around the nucleus was still unknown. Later work by nuclear physicists showed that the nucleus of an atom contains particles, called protons (each with a charge of +e) that are responsible for the positive charge of the atom, and neutrons, uncharged particles with a mass practically identical to that of the protons.

The 3D prototype presented represents half of a Neon atom (Z = 10). Choosing this representation facilitates the process of slicing, printing and post-processing the model, in addition to highlighting the essential concepts of the model proposed by Rutherford. Thus, we can consider this model a didactic alternative for the internal visualization of the atomic stru