3 Physics Experiments that Changed the World

What was the main purpose of Henry Cavendish's torsion ball experiment?

• To prove that light travels in waves.

• To measure the speed of sound.

• To measure the gravitational force between objects.

• To determine the composition of the atmosphere.

What did Thomas Young's experiment with light passing through a small hole and then a thin card demonstrate?

• Light is made of particles.

• Light behaves like a wave.

• Light can be created from darkness.

• Light travels in a straight line only.

What concept describes particles exhibiting properties of both waves and particles?

• Gravitational constant

• Plum pudding model

• Wave-particle duality

• Torsion balance

What did Rutherford's gold foil experiment reveal about the structure of an atom?

• Atoms are mostly empty space with a dense, positively charged nucleus.

• Atoms are solid, uniform spheres.

• Electrons are scattered randomly throughout a positive cloud.

• Atoms are made entirely of negatively charged particles.