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Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions

Chapter 2, Problem 17

What fraction of the a particles in Rutherford's gold foil experiment are scattered at large angles? Assume the gold foil is two layers thick, as shown in Figure 2.9, and that the approximate diameters of a gold atom and its nucleus are 270 pm and 1.0 * 10–2 pm, respectively. Hint: Calculate the cross sectional area occupied by the nucleus as a fraction of that occupied by the atom. Assume that the gold nuclei in each layer are offset from each other.

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