PHYSICS PROJECT FILE

TOPIC: ALPHA PARTICLE SCATTERING EXPERIMENT

By: SAVI GUPTA

Roll no. 271
XII G

To: Neelima mam

 ALPHA PARTICLE
Alpha particles are relatively slow and heavy compared with other forms of nuclear radiation.

Alpha particles (a) are composite particles consisting of two protons and two neutrons
tightly bound together (Figure 1). They are emitted from the nucleus of some radionuclides
during a form of radioactive decay, called alpha-decay. An alpha-particle is identical to the
nucleus of a normal (atomic mass four) helium atom i.e. a doubly ionised helium atom.

Alpha particles (also termed alpha radiation or alpha rays) was the first nuclear radiation
to be discovered, beta particles and gamma rays were identified soon after.

What are the properties of alpha particles?

Alpha particles are relatively slow and heavy compared with other forms of nuclear
radiation. The particles travel at 5 to 7 % of the speed of light or 20,000,000 metres per
second and has a mass approximately equivalent to 4 protons.

Alpha particles, because they are highly ionising, are unable to penetrate very far through
matter and are brought to rest by a few centimetres of air or less than a tenth of a
millimetre of biological tissue
What are some common sources of alpha particles?

Many alpha emitters occur naturally in the environment. For

example, alpha particles are given off by radionuclides such as
uranium-238, radium-226, and other members of the naturally
occurring uranium, thorium and actinium decay series which are
present in varying amounts in nearly all rocks, soils, and water.

Artificially produced sources of alpha particles include the

radioisotopes of elements such as plutonium, americium, curium
and californium. These are generally produced in a nuclear
reactor through the absorption of neutrons by various uranium
radioisotopes.
Rutherford Atomic Model – The plum pudding model given by J. J. Thomson failed
to explain certain experimental results associated with the atomic structure of
elements. Ernest Rutherford, a British scientist conducted an experiment and
based on the observations of this experiment, he explained the atomic structure
of elements and proposed Rutherford’s Atomic Model

Rutherford’s Alpha Scattering Experiment

Rutherford conducted an experiment by bombarding a thin sheet of gold with

α-particles and then studied the trajectory of these particles after their interaction
with the gold foil.

Rutherford, in his experiment, directed high energy streams of α-particles from a radioactive
source at a thin sheet (100 nm thickness) of gold. In order to study the deflection caused to
the α-particles, he placed a fluorescent zinc sulphide screen around the thin gold foil.
Rutherford made certain observations that contradicted Thomson’s atomic model.

Observations of Rutherford’s Alpha Scattering Experiment

The observations made by Rutherford led him to conclude that:
1. A major fraction of the α-particles bombarded towards the gold sheet passed
through the sheet without any deflection, and hence most of the space in an
atom is empty.
2. Some of the α-particles were deflected by the gold sheet by very small angles, and
hence the positive charge in an atom is not uniformly distributed. The positive
charge in an atom is concentrated in a very small volume.
3. Very few of the α-particles were deflected back, that is only a few α-particles had nearly 180o
angle of deflection. So the volume occupied by the positively
 charged particles in an atom is very small as compared to the total volume of an atom.

Rutherford Atomic Model

Based on the above observations and conclusions, Rutherford proposed the atomic structure
of elements. According to the Rutherford atomic model:

1. The positive charge and most of the mass of an atom is concentrated in an extremely
small volume. He called this region of the atom as a nucleus.
2. Rutherford’s model proposed that the negatively charged electrons surround the nucleus
of an atom. He also claimed that the electrons surrounding the nucleus revolve around
it with very high speed in circular paths. He named these circular paths as orbits.
3. Electrons being negatively charged and nucleus being a densely concentrated mass of
positively charged particles are held together by a strong electrostatic force of
attraction.

Limitations of Rutherford Atomic Model

Although the Rutherford atomic model was based on experimental observations, it failed to
explain certain things.

● Rutherford proposed that the electrons revolve around the nucleus in fixed paths called
orbits. According to Maxwell, accelerated charged particles emit electromagnetic
radiations and hence an electron revolving around the nucleus should emit
electromagnetic radiation. This radiation would carry energy from the motion of the
electron which would come at the cost of shrinking of orbits. Ultimately the electrons
would collapse in the nucleus. Calculations have shown that as per the Rutherford
model, an electron would collapse into the nucleus in less than 10-8 seconds. So the
Rutherford model was not in accordance with Maxwell’s theory and could not explain
the stability of an atom.
● One of the drawbacks of the Rutherford model was also that he did not say anything
about the arrangement of electrons in an atom which made his theory incomplete.
● Although the early atomic models were inaccurate and failed to explain certain
experimental results, they formed the base for future developments in the world of
quantum mechanics.
bibliography
https://byjus.com/chemistry/rutherfords-model-of-atoms-and-its-limitations/

https://www.arpansa.gov.au/understanding-radiation/