What results do you expect if the -particle scattering experiment is repeated using a thin sheet of hydrogen in place of a gold foil? Explain. (Hydrogen is a solid at a temperature below 14 K.)
Answer: Proton target is lighter than ; no large-angle back-scattering.
Solution
The target nucleus would be a hydrogen nucleus (a proton), whose mass () is much smaller than that of the incident -particle ().
A heavy projectile striking a much lighter target cannot be scattered backward; it continues almost undeviated, giving only small-angle deflections.
So no large-angle (back) scattering would be observed, unlike with gold.
A heavy projectile striking a much lighter target cannot be scattered backward; it continues almost undeviated, giving only small-angle deflections.
So no large-angle (back) scattering would be observed, unlike with gold.
CBSE Class 12 Board · 2022 · Subjective