Answer:
Rutherford hypothesized that a greater number of alpha particles would be deflected if there were more particles in the nucleus.
Explanation:
The particles that form the nucleus of Rutherford's atom are protons and neutrons. This is explained because the alpha particles that impact are the electrons that are part of the nucleus, and the more of these, the greater the amount of protons and neutrons in the nucleus must be.
This is deducted from the formulas of mass numbers and atomic numbers that relate these elements.
