NSS Physics in Life (Atomic World)

Full Solution of Textbooks

Chapter 1
Checkpoint (p.14) 1.

Rutherfords Atomic Model

2.

3.

(a) (i) A (ii) C (b) (i) A (ii) A, B and C (a) correct (b) incorrect An atom contains a small, positively charged nucleus. (c) incorrect Rutherford did not know the existence of neutrons at his time. (d) incorrect In Rutherfords model, electrons orbit round the nucleus rather than randomly distributed in the atom. (e) incorrect The mass of nucleus is much larger than the total mass of electrons. atom: 1010 m nucleus: 1015 m

Exercise (p.15) 1. 2. 3. A D (a) Since atom is neutral in charge, particles A and B must carry charges that are equal in magnitude but opposite in sign, i.e. Q A = Q B . If the two particles have similar mass, they would orbit round each other. But since A orbit round stationary B, the mass of B must be much larger than that of A, i.e. m A << m B . (b) A is an electron. It is the attractive electric force between the particles that keeps A in circular motion. (c) protons and neutrons

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NSS Physics in Life (Atomic World)

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4.

(a) The sketch is shown below.

5.

6.

(1) The upper particle, which is relatively far away from the nucleus, travels straight through the gold atom because most of the volume of an atom is empty. (2) The middle particle is deflected due to electrostatic repulsion when it comes close to the nucleus, which is also positively charged. (3) The lower particle hits straight onto the nucleus and then bounces back due to the electrostatic repulsion and the fact that almost all the mass of the atom is concentrated in the nucleus. (b) In the particle scattering experiment, a beam of energetic particles is directed onto a thin sheet of gold foil. The experiment shows that most of the particles pass through the gold foil with no or little deflections (upper particle), some are deflected by larger angles (middle particle) and a tiny fraction of them even bounce back (lower particle). Table Q5 is shown below. particle scattering gravitational analogue particle bead objects gold nucleus model hill repulsive electric force slope of the model hill repulsive force K.E. electric P.E. K.E. gravitational P.E. energy conversion (a) The initial kinetic energy of the particle is
Ek =
2 1 1 m v 2 = ( 6.64 10 27 ) ( 2 10 7 ) = 1.328 10 12 J 2 2

(b) The energy conversion process is as follows. (1) The particle slows down due to electrostatic repulsion when approaching the nucleus, and hence the kinetic energy of the particle is converted into electric potential energy. (2) All the kinetic energy is converted into electric potential energy when the particle stops momentarily.

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NSS Physics in Life (Atomic World)

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(3) After the rebound, the speed of the particle increases as it moves away from the nucleus, and hence the electric potential energy is converted back into kinetic energy. (c) Let r be the closest distance between the particle and the nucleus. 1 Q1Q2 U = 4 0 r
1.328 10 12 = 1 4 8.85 10 12
19 19

[47 (1.60 10 )] [2 (1.60 10 )]

r
14

r = 1.629 10

14

1.63 10

7.

It is of the same order of magnitude as the answer in Example 1.1. (1) The mass of X is much greater than that of particle. (2) The charge of X is opposite in sign to that of particle.

Checkpoint (p.18) 1. (a) (4) (b) (1), (2), (3)

Exercise (p.18) 1. 2. 3. (1) 1st blank: the results of the alpha particle scattering experiment (2) 2md blank: atomic spectra and the stability of atoms D (a) In Rutherfords atomic model, the electrons orbit round the nucleus in circular orbits. (b) The classical electromagnetic theory predicts that the electrons would lose energy continuously and spiral into the nucleus. (c) The atom would collapse.

4.

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

no yes yes yes no

3

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NSS Physics in Life (Atomic World)

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Chapter Exercise (p.25) 1. B 2. C 3. B 4. B Since particle is negatively charged and the nucleus is positively charged, only attractive forces exist between them. 5. B 6. (HKALE 2000 P2 Q43) 7. (a) The lead shield is used to direct a unidirectional beam of particles onto the (1A) gold foil. (1A) (b) radiation has a very short range (several centimetres) in air. (c) The number of particles deflected at an angle can be measured by setting the microscope at that angle (1A) and counting the number of scintillations on the zinc sulphide screen on the telescope (1A). (d) (i) Shown below is a diagram depicting Rutherfords atomic model.

(1A)

8.

Most of the volume occupied by an atom is empty (1A). All the positive charge and almost all the mass of an atom are concentrated in the small nucleus at the centre (1A). Electrons, which is negatively charged, orbit round the nucleus (1A). (ii) Since most of the volume occupied by an atom is empty, most of the particles pass through the foil with very little or even without deflections (1A), thus the largest number of particles will be detected at A (1A). Although an particle coming close to a nucleus will be strongly deflected (1A), large deflections are rare because of the small size of a nucleus (1A), thus the least number of particles will be detected at C (1A). (a) Since the mass of electron is too small compared with that of particle, the (1A) motion of the particle is not affected.

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NSS Physics in Life (Atomic World)

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(b) As both the particle and the nucleus are positively charged, the particle experiences electrostatic repulsion from the nucleus and is thus defected (1A). Since the nucleus is very massive compared with the particle (1A), according to conservation of momentum, the particle is strongly deflected while the nucleus remains stationary (1A). (c) (i) The deflection angle will be larger (1A) because the electrostatic repulsion between the particle and the nucleus becomes larger when they are closer together (1A). (ii) The deflection angle will again be larger (1A) because the electrostatic repulsion between the particle and the nucleus becomes larger when the nucleus carries a higher positive charge (1A). 9. (a) The steel bead represents the particle (1A) and the model hill represents the nucleus (1A). (b) The kinetic energy of the steel bead is converted into gravitational potential energy when it climbs the model hill (1A). In analogy, the kinetic energy of the particle is converted into electric potential energy when it approaches the nucleus (1A). (c) As the steel bead approaches the model hill at the two sides of the hill, it climbs up a bit, falls down and then moves away from the hill with a deflected path (1A). The further away the slanted track moves sideways, the weaker the deflection is (1A). In analogy, an particle not hitting right at the nucleus deflects (1A) as it experiences electrostatic repulsion from the nucleus (1A). Since the nucleus is small compared with the total volume of an atom (1A), the chance of deflection is small and that of rebound is even smaller (1A). (d) The gravitational potential energy stored in a steel bead climbing up a slope depends on the steepness of the slope (1A). Hence the slope has to be carefully designed so as to model the electric potential energy stored in an particle approaching a nucleus (1A). 10. (a) (i) According to J. J. Thomsons plum pudding model, an particle should be able to pass through an atom without deflection (1A). Nonetheless, the particle scattering experiment shows that some particles directed towards a nucleus deflect at large angles and a few even bounce back (1A).

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NSS Physics in Life (Atomic World)

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(ii) Rutherford suggested that almost all the mass and all positive charge of an atom are confined in a tiny region called the nucleus (1A). In his scattering experiment, most of the particles pass through the gold foil with no or very little deflections, thus the nucleus must be small and most of the volume occupied by the atom must be empty (1A). Moreover, as a few particles even bounce back, the nucleus must be massive and contains a lot of positive charge (1A). (b) (i) In Rutherfords atomic model, the orbits of electrons can take any radius, and thus the model cannot explain the discrete lines found in (1A) the spectrum. (ii) According to the classical electromagnetic theory, the electrons lose energy continuously during orbital motion (1A) and would therefore spiral into the nucleus, causing the atom to collapse (1A).

(1A)

(1A) 11. (a) (i) helium nucleus (1A) (ii) repulsive electric force (b) The repulsive electric force between charged particles becomes larger as they are closer to each other (1A). Therefore, particles have to be accelerated to extremely high speeds to overcome the strong repulsive force in order to initiate collisions (1A). 12. (a) Let vn be the speed of the neutron after the collision. By the law of conservation of momentum, we have m n u n = mn v n + m H v H (1A) m u mH vH (1) vn = n n mn

Since the collision is elastic, by the law of conservation of energy, we have

1 1 1 2 2 2 mn u n = mn v n + mH v H 2 2 2 2 2 2 mn u n = mn v n + mH v H

(2)

(1A)

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NSS Physics in Life (Atomic World)

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Substituting (1) into (2), we have

mn u n
2

m u mH v H + mH v H 2 = mn n n mn
(1A+1A)

mH 2 2 2 0 = 2m H u n v H + m v H + mH v H n 2m n u n vH = mn + mH

(b) Using the same derivation as that in (a) (1A), the speed of the nitrogen nucleus after the collision is 2m n u n vN = mn + m N Combining the result in (a), we have v H mn + m N = v N mn + m H (c) From (b), we have
v H mn + m N = v N mn + mH 3.3 107 mn + 14mH = m n + mH 4.7 106 mn = 1.159mH 1.16mH

(1A)

(1A)

(1M+1A)

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