Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 2: Problem 6

Describe the experimental basis for believing that the nucleus occupies a very small fraction of the volume of the atom.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The observation from Rutherford's gold foil experiment provides the experimental basis for the belief that the nucleus of an atom occupies a small fraction of the atom's total volume. The experiment showed that most of the atom is empty space with only a minuscule portion containing almost the entire mass and all the positive charge - the nucleus.

Step by step solution

01

Explanation of Rutherford's Gold Foil Experiment

Ernest Rutherford conducted an experiment in 1909 where he bombarded a thin gold foil with alpha particles. He observed that most alpha particles passed straight through the foil, indicating that most of the atom is empty space. However, a few alpha particles were deflected at large angles, and some even got reflected back. This could only be explained if the positive charge and most of the mass of an atom were densely concentrated in a very small space known as the nucleus.
02

Derive Inference from the Experiment

The crux of the Rutherford's experiment is the observation that a small number of alpha particles were deflected at significant angles or reflected back, which suggested that the dominate part of the atom is empty space, and the nucleus - where most mass is located and where all positive charge resides - is a small and densely populated region at the center of the atom.
03

Relating the Experiment to the Atom's Volume

The observations from Rutherford's experiment give experimental basis for the claim that the nucleus, containing the entire positive charge and almost all the mass of the atom, occupies only a minute portion of the atom's total volume. The remaining vast volume is mostly empty space with electrons scattered sparingly.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

(a) Describe Rutherford's experiment and how it led to the structure of the atom. How was he able to estimate the number of protons in a nucleus from the scattering of the \(\alpha\) particles? (b) Consider the \({ }^{23} \mathrm{Na}\) atom. Given that the radius and mass of the nucleus are \(3.04 \times 10^{-15} \mathrm{~m}\) and \(3.82 \times 10^{-23} \mathrm{~g},\) respectively, calculate the density of the nucleus in \(\mathrm{g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}\). The radius of a \({ }^{23} \mathrm{Na}\) atom is \(186 \mathrm{pm}\). Calculate the density of the space occupied by the electrons in the sodium atom. Do your results support Rutherford's model of an atom? [The volume of a sphere of ra\(\operatorname{dius} r\) is \(\left.(4 / 3) \pi r^{3} \cdot\right]\)

Define the following terms: (a) \(\alpha\) particle, (b) \(\beta\) particle, (c) \(\gamma\) ray, (d) X ray.

What is meant by the term "fundamental particle"?

Write the molecular formula of ethanol. The color codes are: black (carbon), red (oxygen), and gray (hydrogen).

Use the helium- 4 isotope to define atomic number and mass number. Why does a knowledge of atomic number enable us to deduce the number of electrons present in an atom?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

The Earths Atmosphere

Read Explanation

Making Measurements

Read Explanation

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Reactions

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free