FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
SHARE THIS PAGE ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, WHATSAPP ... USING THE BUTTONS ON THE LEFT


YOUR PARTICIPATION FOR THE GROWTH OF PHYSICS REFERENCE BLOG

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Two α-particles with equal energies are fired towards the nucleus of a gold atom. Which diagram best represents their paths?


Question 6
Two α-particles with equal energies are fired towards the nucleus of a gold atom.
Which diagram best represents their paths?







Reference: Past Exam Paper – November 2005 Paper 1 Q39





Solution:
Answer: B.
  
The gold nucleus will cause a repulsive force on the alpha particles as they approach from any direction since they are all positively charged. [A is incorrect]

The gold nucleus would deflect the α-particles away from it (repulsive force). [D is incorrect] The closer the α-particle, the stronger is the repulsive force and thus, the deflection is larger. Thus, after being deflected, the paths of the alpha particles cannot remain parallel. [C is incorrect]

No comments:

Post a Comment

If it's a past exam question, do not include links to the paper. Only the reference.
Comments will only be published after moderation

Currently Viewing: Physics Reference | Two α-particles with equal energies are fired towards the nucleus of a gold atom. Which diagram best represents their paths?