Question

What was the approximate thickness of the thin gold foil used in the experiment?

Options

• \[10^{-14}\,\mathrm{m}\]

• \[2.1\times10^{-7}\,\mathrm{m}\]

• \[2.1\times10^{-5}\,\mathrm{m}\]

• \[10^{-10}\,\mathrm{m}\]

Answer 1

The alpha-particles struck a gold foil about \[2.1\times10^{-7}\,\mathrm{m}\] thick. The foil’s small thickness was important to the assumption of single scattering.