QUESTION AND SOLUTION OF THE RUTHERFORD NUCLEAR ATOM

1. A gold foil ( = 19.3 g/cm3, M = 197 g/mole) has a thickness of 2.0 x 10-4 cm. It is used to
scatter alpha particles of kinetic energy 8.0 MeV. (a) What fraction of the alpha particles is
scattered at angles greater than 90o? (b) What fraction of the alpha particles is scattered at
angles between 90o and 45o?

Known : = 19.3 g/cm3,

M = 197 g/mole
K = 8.0 MeV
t = 2.0 x 10-4 cm = 2.0 x 10-6 m

f 90
asked : (a) = . . .?
0

f 90 f 60
(b) between =...?
0 0

solution :
(a) For this case the number of nuclei per unit volume can be computed as

N A ( 6.02 10 23 atom/ mole ) ( 19.3 g /cm3)

n= =
M (197 g / mole ) ( 1 m/102 cm ) 3

For scattering at 90o, the impact parameter b can be found:

zZ e 2 1
b= cot
2 K 4 e0 2

( 2 ) (79 )
( 1.44 MeV . fm ) cot 4 50
= 2 ( 5.0 MeV )

= 22.75 fm = 2.3 10-14 m.

So, we have

f 90 =nt b2
0

= (5.9 1028 m-3)(2.0 10-6m)(2.3 10-14 m)2

= 19.6 10-5
 (b) Repeating the calculation for = 45o , we find

zZ e 2 1
b= cot
2 K 4 e0 2

( 2 ) (79 )
( 1.44 MeV . fm ) cot30 0
= 2 ( 5.0 MeV )

= 13 fm = 1.3 10-14 m

f 60 =nt b2
0

= (5.9 1028 m-3)(2.0 10-6m)(1.3 10-14 m)2

= 6.26 10-5

If a total fraction of 4.4 x 10-4 is scattered at angles greater than 45o , and of that 7.5 x 10-5
is scattered at angles greater than 90o , the fraction scattered between 45o and 90o must be

4.4 x 10-4 - 7.5 x 10-5 = 3.6 x 10-4

2. Alpha particles of kinetic energy 6.00 MeV are scattered at 900 by a gol foil. (a) What is
the impact parameter? (b) What is the minimum distance between alpha particles and gold
nucleus?
Known : K = 6.00 MeV
= 90o

asked : (a) b = . . .?

(b) d = . . . ?

solution :
(a) For scattering at 900, the impact parameter b can be found from:

zZ e 2 1
b= cot
2 K 4 e0 2

( 2 ) ( 79 )
(1.44 MeV . fm ) cot 4 50
= 2 ( 6.0 MeV )

= 19 fm

= 1.9 10-14 m.
 (b) The minimum distance between alpha particles and gold nucleus d can be found from:

zZ e 2 1
d= 4 e0 K

79
= (2) ( 1.44 MeV . fm ) 1
6.0 MeV

= 38 fm

= 3.8 10-14 m.

3. What is the distance of closest approach when alpha particles of kinetic energy 7.0 MeV
are scattered at 900 by a thin copper foil?

Known : K = 7.0 MeV

= 90o

asked :b=...?

solution :
For scattering at 900, the impact parameter b (distance of closest) can be found:

zZ e 2 1
b= cot
2 K 4 e0 2

( 2 ) (59 )
=
( 1.44 MeV . fm ) cot 4 50
2 ( 7.0 MeV )

= 12 fm

= 1.2 10-14 m.

4. Protons are incident on a copper foil 12 m thick. (a) What should the proton kinetic
energy be in order that the distance of closest approach equal the nuclear radius (5.0 fm)?
(b) If the proton energy were 7.5 MeV, what is the impact parameter for scattering at
120o?
 Known : t = 12 m = 12 x 10-6 m
Asked : (a) K = . . .? d = 5.0 fm
(b) b =. . .? If K = 7.5 MeV
f
(c) 120 = . . .?
0

Solution :
(a) For Proton Kinetic Energy can be found from :
zZ e 2 1
d = 4 e0 K

so, we can get :

zZ e 2
K = 4 e0 d

2( 29)(1.44 MeV fm)

= 5.0 fm
= 16.704 MeV

(b) For the impact parameter for scattering at 120o we can get from:
zZ e 2 1
b = 2 K 4 e 0 cot 2

(2 )( 29 )
=
( 1.44 MeV . fm ) cot 6 00
4 ( 7.5 MeV )

= 1.607 x 10-15 m

5. How much kinetic energy must an alpha particle have before its distance of closest
approach to a gold nucleus is equal to the nuclear radius (7.0 x 10-15m)?
Known : d = 7.0 x 10-15m
= 7.0 fm
Asked : K = . . .?
Solution :
For Kinetic energy of alpha particle , we can get from eq :

zZ e 2 1
d= 4 e0 K

So, for K we can get :

zZ e 2
K= 4 e0 d
 2( 79)(1.44 MeV fm)
= 7.0 fm
= 32.503 MeV