The results of the Geiger-Marsden experiment led to which important theory in atomic physics?

The Geiger-Marsden experiment, also known as the gold foil experiment, was crucial in shaping our understanding of atomic structure. Conducted by Ernest Marsden and Hans Geiger under the supervision of Ernest Rutherford, the experiment involved bombarding a thin gold foil with alpha particles. The key observation was that while most alpha particles passed through the foil, a small fraction were deflected at large angles, and a few even bounced back.

This unexpected result led to the conclusion that an atom is mostly empty space, with its mass concentrated in a dense, positively charged nucleus. This realization contributed to what is known as the nuclear hypothesis, which describes the atom as having a central nucleus surrounded by electrons. This was a significant departure from the earlier plum pudding model, where electrons were distributed throughout a positively charged "soup."

Thus, the important theory that emerged from the Geiger-Marsden experiment is the nuclear hypothesis, as it fundamentally changed the way scientists understood the arrangement and behavior of subatomic particles in an atom.