Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
With the help of a neat labelled diagram, describe the Geiger- Marsden experiment
Advertisements
Solution
Geiger–Marsden experiment:
The setup of the Geiger–Marsden experiment is as shown below.

In this experiment, a narrow beam of α-particles from a radioactive source was incident on a gold foil. The scattered α-particles were detected by the detector fixed on a rotating stand. The detector used had a zinc sulphide screen and a microscope.
The α-particles produced scintillations on the screen which could be observed through a microscope. This entire setup is enclosed in an evacuated chamber.
They observed the number of α-particles as a function of scattering angle. Now, the scattering angle is the deviation (θ) of α-particles from its original direction.
They observed that most α-particles passed undeviated and only a few (~0.14%) scattered by more than 1°. Few were deflected slightly and only a few (1 in 8000) deflected by more than 90°. Some particles even bounced back with 180°.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Thorium 90Th232 is disintegrated into lead 82Pb200. Find the number of α and β particles emitted in disintegration.
An atom has a nearly continuous mass distribution in a ______ but has a highly non-uniform mass distribution in ______.
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 the following question, which help you understand the difference between Thomson’s model and Rutherford’s model better.
Is the average angle of deflection of α-particles by a thin gold foil predicted by Thomson’s model much less, about the same, or much greater than that predicted by Rutherford’s model?
Define the distance of closest approach. An α-particle of kinetic energy 'K' is bombarded on a thin gold foil. The distance of the closest approach is 'r'. What will be the distance of closest approach for an α-particle of double the kinetic energy?
In a Geiger-Marsden experiment, calculate the distance of closest approach to the nucleus of Z = 75, when a α-particle of 5 MeV energy impinges on it before it comes momentarily to rest and reverses its direction.
How will the distance of closest approach be affected when the kinetic energy of the α-particle is doubles?
Answer the following question.
Explain briefly how Rutherford scattering of α-particle by a target nucleus can provide information on the size of the nucleus.
Alpha particles used in Geiger-Marsden experiment were obtained from ______.
In Geiger-Marsden experiment, actual results were ______.
As compared to 12C atom, 14C atom has ______.
In a capillary tube, water rises by 1.2 mm. The height of water that will rise in another capillary tube having half the radius of the first is:
A radioactive nucleus (initial mass number A and atomic number Z) emits 3 α- particles and 2 positrons. The ratio of the number of neutrons to that of protons in the final nucleus will be:
The ratio of the frequencies of the long wave length its of Lyman Balmer series of hydrogen spectrum is
Would the Bohr formula for the H-atom remain unchanged if proton had a charge (+4/3)e and electron a charge (−3/4)e, where e = 1.6 × 10–19C. Give reasons for your answer.
Assume that there is no repulsive force between the electrons in an atom but the force between positive and negative charges is given by Coulomb’s law as usual. Under such circumstances, calculate the ground state energy of a He-atom.
The Bohr model for the H-atom relies on the Coulomb’s law of electrostatics. Coulomb’s law has not directly been verified for very short distances of the order of angstroms. Supposing Coulomb’s law between two opposite charge + q1, –q2 is modified to |F| = `(q_1q_2)/((4πε_0)) 1/r^2, r ≥ R_0 = (q_1q_2)/(4πε_0) 1/R_0^2 (R_0/r)^ε, r ≤ R_0` Calculate in such a case, the ground state energy of a H-atom, if ε = 0.1, R0 = 1Å.
A narrow beam of protons, each having 4.1 MeV energy is approaching a sheet of lead (Z = 82). Calculate:
- the speed of a proton in the beam, and
- the distance of its closest approach
The electron in a hydrogen atom is typically found at a distance of about 5.3 × 10−11 m from the nucleus which has a diameter of about 1.0 × 10−15 m. Assuming the hydrogen atom to be a sphere of radius 5.3 × 10−11 m, what fraction of its volume is occupied by the nucleus?
According to Bohr model, magnetic field at centre (at the nucleus) of a hydrogen atom due to motion of electron in the ninth orbit is proportional to:
The shortest wavelength of the Brackett series of a hydrogen like atom of atomic number Z is same as the shortest wavelength of the Balmer series of hydrogen atom, then the value of Z is ______.
Choose the correct option from the following options given below:
An alpha nucleus of energy `1/2`mv2 bombards a heavy nuclear target of charge Ze. Then the distance of closest approach for the alpha nucleus will be proportional to ______.
- v2
- `1/"m"`
- `1/"v"^2`
- `1/"Ze"`
In the Rutherford experiment, α-particles are scattered from a nucleus as shown. Out of the four paths, which path is not possible?

How is the size of a nucleus found experimentally? Write the relation between the radius and mass number of a nucleus.
Differentiate between the 'distance of the closest approach' and the 'impact parameter.'
When alpha particles are sent through a thin gold foil, most of them go straight through the foil, because ______.
