[UPSC CSE 1989] Central Force Motion and Gravitation (Q134, 20M)

State how Rutherford's experiments on alpha scattering by thin gold foils established that

(i) the positive charge in an atom is confined to a nucleus of radius far less than the atomic radii, and

(ii) the Coulomb law is valid down to such small distances. Why do the electrons not participate in the interactions appreciably?