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| 1. |
Suppose you are given a chance to repeat the alpha-particle scattering experiment using a thin sheet of solid hydrogen in place of the gold foil. (Hydrogen is a solid at temperatures below 14 K.) What results do you expect? |
| Answer» Solution :If in Rutherford.s alpha-PARTICLE scattering experiment we USE a thin SHEET of solid hydrogen in place of GOLD foil then no large angle scattering of alpha-particles is possible. We know that nucleus of hydrogen atom is a proton having a mass of only `1.67 xx 10^(-27)kg`, whereas mass of alpha-particle is FOUR times the mass of proton `(6.64 xx 10^(-27)kg)`. As the scattering particle is more massive than the target nucleus, the alpha-particle would not bounce back even for a head-on collision. The situation is similar to a football colliding with a tennis ball at rest and in such a situation we do not expect large angle scattering. | |