The gold foil experiment was carried out by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden under the supervision of Ernest Rutherford, so it is often called Rutherford’s gold foil (or Geiger–Marsden) experiment.

Who did the gold foil experiment?

  • The experiment is historically linked to Ernest Rutherford, who designed and interpreted it, which is why textbooks often simply say “Rutherford’s gold foil experiment.”
  • The hands-on experimental work was performed by his collaborators Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden in the laboratory at the University of Manchester between about 1908 and 1913.
  • Because of this shared contribution, the work is also known as the Geiger–Marsden experiment in many modern sources.

TL;DR:
Rutherford conceived and led the project, while Geiger and Marsden actually carried out the gold foil experiment in his lab.

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