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What do you think would be the observation if the ∝– particle scattering experiment is carried out using a foil of a metal other than gold?

Question

What do you think would be the observation if the α\alpha– particle scattering experiment is carried out using a foil of a metal other than gold?

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Solution

The alpha particle scattering experiment, also known as the Rutherford's scattering experiment, was an experiment to probe the structure of the atom. It was carried out by bombarding a thin gold foil with alpha particles and observing the pattern of scattered particles.

If the experiment were carried out using a foil of a metal other than gold, the observations would likely be similar, but with some differences due to the different atomic structure of the other metal. Here's a step-by-step breakdown:

  1. Most of the alpha particles would still pass straight through the foil. This is because, like gold atoms, most other metal atoms are mostly empty space.

  2. Some alpha particles would be deflected at small angles. The number of particles deflected and the angles at which they are deflected would depend on the size of the nucleus and the number of protons in the other metal.

  3. A very small number of alpha particles would be deflected at very large angles or even bounce back. This would happen when the alpha particles come very close to or hit the nuclei of the metal atoms. The likelihood of this happening would depend on the size and charge of the nuclei of the other metal.

  4. The pattern of scattering would provide information about the size and charge of the nucleus of the other metal, just as Rutherford's experiment with gold foil provided information about the size and charge of the gold nucleus.

So, in conclusion, the overall pattern of scattering would be similar, but the specific details would depend on the atomic structure of the metal used.

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