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It very much depends on the energy, type of bombarding particle, and the exact nucleus. Neutrons and protons can be accepted at lower energies, and the nucleus will eventually decay to a more stable form (if necessary). Photons above a threshold can photoactivate a nucleus to an unstable state. More energetic particles of any sort tend to scission the nucleus essentially immediately.

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In Rutherfords gold foil experiment shown in Figure 4-1 alpha particles that bounce straight back from the foil have struck in the gold atoms?

No, they struck the nucleus of the atom. Since the alpha particles are positively charged and nucleus is positively charged as well, they repelled each other and alpha particles are repelled back


How do the atomic number change?

The atomic number of an element is FIXED it can not normally be changed. However, if the element's atom is struck by an atomic particle or the element is radioactive then the composition of the atoms nucleus can be altered. Changes to the composition of the nucleus can cause a NEW element to be formed or indeed split the atom into two NEW smaller/lighter atoms.


How did Rutherford know where particles went after being shot at the gold foil?

Rutherford detected the particles' paths using a fluorescent screen that emitted light when struck by the particles. By observing the pattern of scattered particles on the screen, he determined that most particles passed through the foil but some were deflected at large angles, leading to the conclusion that atoms have a dense, positively charged nucleus at their center.


What is diagram for fission?

A fission reaction diagram typically shows a heavy nucleus (like Uranium-235) being struck by a neutron, resulting in the nucleus splitting into two lighter nuclei, along with the release of additional neutrons and energy. This process is the basis for nuclear power generation and atomic bombs.


What caused the deflection of the alpha particles in Rutherford's gold foil experiment?

The alpha particles scatter from the atomic nuclei in the gold foil. The repulsive electrostatic force between the nucleus and the alpha particle (because both are positively charged and like charges repel) deflects the alpha particle. Because of the large mass and (relatively) large energy of the alpha particles in Rutherford scattering experiments, the alpha particles are largely unaffected by the electrons in the gold atoms. More accurately, the scattering of the alpha particles from the electrons produces small angular deflections.Because the nucleus is small -- approximately 1/10000th the size of the whole atom -- most of the time the alpha particles will pass through the atom with little or no deflection. But occasionally, the alpha particles will start on a trajectory that, without the electrostatic deflection, would take them very close to the nucleus. In such cases, the electrostatic force produces a large angular deflection and can even scatter the alpha particles backwards. If the positive charge in the atom were distributed over the entire size of the atom, the likelihood of having such a large-angle scattering would be much smaller than it was (is) observed to be. Thus, the original experiments demonstrated that the positive charge in atoms is confined to a small region at the very center of an atom. Indeed, the data also provided an estimate of the size of the nucleus. More advanced analyses of such scattering experiments with modern equipment but using electron beams have provided detailed measurements of nuclear diameters for a wide range of atomic nuclei.


What happens to particles when lightning strikes?

They get struck by lightning.


What causes fission?

Only certain elements are fissionable, or at least with practical means. The fission of for example the atom U235 happens when it is struck by a slow neutron, it splits, which is fission, releasing two smaller atoms and two or three neutrons (products). The products from the nuclear reaction weigh less then the original atoms. The difference in weight is converted into energy.


Are sub-atomic particles really particles or standing wave forms?

Yes. Well, probably. As far as standing waves being the same thing as particles goes, there's an old saying from the old south " If it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, it's a duck." If the effect of being acted on by a standing-wave form is exactly the same as being struck by a particle, then it's a particle. As one of the philosophers said, "a difference that makes no difference is no difference."


An element that gives off nuclear radiation what?

Sounds to me like radiation from a radioactive isotope. The breaking down part would be the half-life. But the isotope won't completely break down. Only until it reaches a stable form. Such as, radium-226 decays finally to lead-206. During the process it emits charged Alpha particles.


Are electrons of an atom attracted to the positive charge of neutrons?

Neutrons are particles with a "balanced" makeup and have no net charge. The electron is negatively charged. There is no electrostatic interaction that results in a neutron being attracted to an electron. Neutrons can interact with electrons if a neutron is flying through space and encounters electrons in orbit around an atomic nucleus (which will result in scattering), but it ain't common. Electrons are hard to hit; they are very small targets for a neutron. And if they are struck by the much heavier neutron, they will recoil. Neutrons are usually stopped by a collision with an atomic nucleus. If a neutron doesn't hit anything, it will decay after a while (half-life of about 15 minutes). There ain't any free neutrons hanging around. The only interaction where the two little guys will be attracted to each other is through the gravitational force. It DOES work across the board (at all levels), but gravity is soooooo weak at this level (owing to the minuscule masses of the particles involved) that it can be pretty much disregarded.


Was Rutherford model of an atom incorrect or Incomplete explain why?

Scientist considered Rutherford's Nuclear model of an atom to be incomplete due to the various reasons: 1) Rutherford told that the electron revolve (around the nucleus) in completely circular orbits. If so the charged electron would lose energy and fall into the nucleus. 2)Rutherford considered the nucleus to consist of only protons. If so according to the newly discovered laws of quantum mechanics the nucleus may split apart in process of gaining and loosing charges; simply put the cycle of attraction and repulsion would stress the atom and make it unstable. 3)Rutherford also did not mention anything about the neutrons which were discovered later.


What was the purpose of the fluorescent screen in rutherfords experiment?

The purpose of the fluorescent screen in Rutherford's experiment was to detect the alpha particles that were deflected when they struck the gold foil. The screen would light up when hit by the alpha particles, allowing Rutherford to observe and measure the deflection pattern and infer the structure of the atom.