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Why does an alpha particle change direction when it hits gold foil?
Most alpha particles (a pair of protons and a pair of neutrons tied together by nuclear bonds - a helium nucleus) will pass right through the foil. But some will be deflected. That's because those alpha particles have electrostatically interacted with a gold atom nucleus. The gold nucleus is positively charged, and so is the alpha particle. And positive charges don't like each other. The interaction of the charges causes the alpha particles to be deflected if they approach the nucleus. If the alpha particle is on a trajectory that will take it very near (or right at) the nucleus, it will undergo proportionally more deflection, and could actually bounce back the way it came. (The technical term for this interaction is scattering.) This type of early experiment helped investigators determine that the atom had most of its mass concentrated in a nucleus. Before that, it was suspected that the particles that made up the atom were distributed within it in a "general" way. If that was true, the all the alpha particles that were shot at the foil would pass through and none would be deflected. But in the experiment, some were. Why? There must be something inside there that is big and bad and caused the alpha particles to bounce off of it. Oooo, snap! A nuclear atom with mass concentrated in the middle!
Who discovered the nucleus using his gold foil experiment?
Ernest Rutherford is the scientist who discovered the nucleus through his gold foil experiment in 1909. He observed that most of the alpha particles passed through the foil, but some were deflected, leading him to propose the existence of a dense, positively charged nucleus at the center of an atom.
What is the explanation for the scattering experiment of Rutherford?
Rutherford conducted an experiment in which Alpha particles were fired at a gold nucleus. Most of the particles passed through unaffected. However, some were deflected by a small amount whilst an even smaller number of the particles were deflected completely. This led to the conclusion that the atom has an extremely small, central, positively charged nucleus. As both the positive alpha particle and the positive nucleus repel each other by electrostatic forces. The fact that only a small amount of particles are deflected shows that the nucleus is only a tiny central part of the atom.
Why did most of the alpha particles pass through the gold foil?
Most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil because atoms are mostly empty space, and the alpha particle is small enough to pass through without colliding with the dense nucleus. This led to the discovery of the nucleus, as a few alpha particles were deflected or bounced back, indicating a dense, positively charged center in the atom.
Why alfa particles do not get attracted by the electrons present in the atom when gold foil is bambarded by positively charged helium ions?
Alpha particles are essentially helium nuclei, consisting of two protons and two neutrons, so they carry a double positive charge. The positive charge of the alpha particle and the positive charge of the nucleus repel each other, preventing the alpha particle from being attracted to the electrons surrounding the gold nucleus. This repulsion is what allows the alpha particles to pass through the gold foil without being significantly deflected.
If a particle hits a gold nucleus in a head-on collision?
If a particle hits a gold nucleus in a head-on collision, the two would come to a rest for a very brief moment and then the particle would bounce straight back. This is describing a hypothetical situation proposed for Rutherford's gold foil experiment where he confirmed a small positively charged nucleus was present in atoms.
What did Rutherford call the region that deflected the alpha particles?
Rutherford called the region in the gold foil experiment that deflected alpha particles the "nucleus." He discovered that the positive charge and most of the mass of an atom were concentrated in this small, dense region.
Who discovered the nucleus using his gold foil?
Rutherford by bombarding gold foil with positively charged particles and noting that some particles were widely deflected.
Why does an alpha particle change direction when it hits gold foil?
Most alpha particles (a pair of protons and a pair of neutrons tied together by nuclear bonds - a helium nucleus) will pass right through the foil. But some will be deflected. That's because those alpha particles have electrostatically interacted with a gold atom nucleus. The gold nucleus is positively charged, and so is the alpha particle. And positive charges don't like each other. The interaction of the charges causes the alpha particles to be deflected if they approach the nucleus. If the alpha particle is on a trajectory that will take it very near (or right at) the nucleus, it will undergo proportionally more deflection, and could actually bounce back the way it came. (The technical term for this interaction is scattering.) This type of early experiment helped investigators determine that the atom had most of its mass concentrated in a nucleus. Before that, it was suspected that the particles that made up the atom were distributed within it in a "general" way. If that was true, the all the alpha particles that were shot at the foil would pass through and none would be deflected. But in the experiment, some were. Why? There must be something inside there that is big and bad and caused the alpha particles to bounce off of it. Oooo, snap! A nuclear atom with mass concentrated in the middle!
In one of the classic nuclear physics experiments at the beginning of the 20 century an alpha particle was accelerated towards a gold nucleus and its path was substantially deflected by the Coulomb?
This is the Rutherford experiment: discovery of the atomic nucleus.
Who discovered the nucleus using his gold foil experiment?
Ernest Rutherford is the scientist who discovered the nucleus through his gold foil experiment in 1909. He observed that most of the alpha particles passed through the foil, but some were deflected, leading him to propose the existence of a dense, positively charged nucleus at the center of an atom.
How did Rutherford know the nucleus was positively charged?
Rutherford conducted the famous gold foil experiment, where he observed that some alpha particles were deflected back at large angles when they passed through thin gold foil. This led him to propose that the positive charge of an atom is concentrated in a small, dense region called the nucleus.
How did the gold foil experiment prove an atom was mostly empty space?
In the gold foil experiment by Rutherford, most alpha particles passed through the gold foil, indicating that atoms are mostly empty space. The few particles that were deflected showed that the positive charge of the atom is concentrated in a small, dense nucleus, which explains why most of the particles passed through without being deflected.
What was the small positively charge particle which Rutherford directed at thin gold foil?
nucleus
What is the explanation for the scattering experiment of Rutherford?
Rutherford conducted an experiment in which Alpha particles were fired at a gold nucleus. Most of the particles passed through unaffected. However, some were deflected by a small amount whilst an even smaller number of the particles were deflected completely. This led to the conclusion that the atom has an extremely small, central, positively charged nucleus. As both the positive alpha particle and the positive nucleus repel each other by electrostatic forces. The fact that only a small amount of particles are deflected shows that the nucleus is only a tiny central part of the atom.
What is the force of repulsion between an alpha particle and a gold nucleus when the alpha particle passes by the nucleus at a distance of 1pm?
The force of repulsion between the alpha particle and the gold nucleus can be calculated using Coulomb's law, given by F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2, where k is the Coulomb constant, q1 and q2 are the charges of the particles, and r is the distance between them. Given the charges of an alpha particle and a gold nucleus, and the distance of 1pm, the force of repulsion can be calculated to be extremely large due to the proximity of the particles and the high charges involved.
Why did most of the alpha particles pass through the gold foil?
Most of the alpha particles passed through the gold foil because atoms are mostly empty space, and the alpha particle is small enough to pass through without colliding with the dense nucleus. This led to the discovery of the nucleus, as a few alpha particles were deflected or bounced back, indicating a dense, positively charged center in the atom.
