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Radioactivity (A-level only)

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Question 25

Which of the following rows correctly pairs an observation made during this experiment with its valid deduction?

  • Observation: A very small fraction (approximately 1 in 800080008000) of alpha particles are deflected through angles greater than 90∘90^\circ90∘.
  • Deduction: The atom's positive charge and the vast majority of its mass are concentrated in a tiny volume compared to the size of the atom.
  • Observation: The majority of the alpha particles pass through the thin gold foil with no detectable deflection.
  • Deduction: The positive charge of the atom is distributed uniformly throughout a sphere of radius 10−10 m10^{-10}\text{ m}10−10 m.
  • Observation: The kinetic energy of the backscattered alpha particles is significantly greater than their incident kinetic energy.
  • Deduction: Energy is transferred from the vibrating gold nuclei to the alpha particles during collisions.
  • Observation: Alpha particles are deflected in a continuous distribution of angles, with none being deflected by exactly 180∘180^\circ180∘.
  • Deduction: The gold nucleus has a hollow spherical shell structure rather than a solid spherical structure.

Radioactivity (A-level only) Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Physics
  3. /Radioactivity (A-level only)