What does it mean when alpha particles pass through gold foil?
Table of Contents
- 1 What does it mean when alpha particles pass through gold foil?
- 2 Why small number of alpha particles turn back after hitting the gold foil?
- 3 Did most alpha particles pass through the gold foil or bounce back backwards?
- 4 Why do alpha particles bounce off a gold nucleus?
- 5 What did the alpha scattering experiment reveal?
- 6 What were the conclusions drawn by Rutherford from the α particle scattering experiment?
What does it mean when alpha particles pass through gold foil?
Most alpha particles passed straight through the gold foil, which implied that atoms are mostly composed of open space. Some alpha particles were deflected slightly, suggesting interactions with other positively charged particles within the atom.
Why small number of alpha particles turn back after hitting the gold foil?
They bombarded very thin sheets of gold foil with fast moving alpha particles. Rutherford found that a small percentage of alpha particles were deflected at large angles, which could be explained by an atom with a very small, dense, positively-charged nucleus at its center.
Did most alpha particles pass through the gold foil or bounce back backwards?
The vast majority of alpha particles pass straight though a piece of metal foil as if it was not there. Some alpha particles are deflected (scattered) by an angle of about 1o as they pass through the metal foil. About 1 alpha particle in 20,000 (for gold) hits something and bounces back (is being reflected).
Does gold foil absorb alpha particles?
Rutherfords experiment showed that most of the alpha particles passed through a thin gold foil undeflected.
What was one conclusion from the alpha particle scattering experiment?
Rutherford and the nucleus
| What happened | Rutherford’s conclusions |
|---|---|
| A small number of alpha particles were deflected by large angles (> 4°) as they passed through the foil. | There is a concentration of positive charge in the atom. Like charges repel, so the positive alpha particles were being repelled by positive charges. |
Why do alpha particles bounce off a gold nucleus?
This is due to the fact that like charges repel each other. As the positively charged alpha particle would fly through the foil it would come in proximity with the positively charge nucleus of the atom. This in turn either deflected the particle or adjusted its path.
What did the alpha scattering experiment reveal?
Rutherford’s alpha scattering experiment showed that the majority of alpha particles fired at a thin sheet of gold leaf passed straight through. Some of the particles passed through the leaf with a small angle of deflection and very few were deflected at very large angles.
What were the conclusions drawn by Rutherford from the α particle scattering experiment?
Very few particles were deflected by more than 90 degrees. From the observations of this experiment Rutherford concluded that in order to deflect the positively charged alpha particles there must be a repelling force.