What is an alpha-particle, in the context of Rutherford's experiment?
The NCERT states, 'Alpha-particles are nuclei of helium atoms and, therefore, carry two units, 2e, of positive charge and have the mass of the helium atom.'
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What is an alpha-particle, in the context of Rutherford's experiment?
The NCERT states, 'Alpha-particles are nuclei of helium atoms and, therefore, carry two units, 2e, of positive charge and have the mass of the helium atom.'
What does a small impact parameter 'b' for an alpha-particle in Rutherford scattering generally lead to?
The NCERT explains, 'It is seen that an a-particle close to the nucleus (small impact parameter) suffers large scattering. In case of head-on collision, the impact parameter is minimum and the a-particle rebounds back (q @ p).' A small impact parameter means the alpha-particle passes very close to the nucleus, experiencing a strong repulsive force and thus a large deflection.
The fact that only a small fraction of incident alpha-particles rebound back in Rutherford's experiment implies that:
The NCERT states, 'The fact that only a small fraction of the number of incident particles rebound back indicates that the number of a-particles undergoing head on collision is small. This, in turn, implies that the mass and positive charge of the atom is concentrated in a small volume.'
Compared to the atomic radius of $10^{-10} \text{ m}$, the nuclear radius is approximately:
The text states, 'The radius of the atom is about $10^{-10} \text{ m}$, while that of nucleus is $10^{-15} \text{ m}$. One can appreciate this difference in size by realising that if Fig. 2.5 Schematic view of Rutherford’ s scattering experiment.' And also, 'Rutherford’s experiments suggested the size of the nucleus to be about $10^{-15} \text{ m}$ to $10^{-14} \text{ m}$. From kinetic theory, the size of an atom was known to be $10^{-10} \text{ m}$, about 10,000 to 100,000 times larger than the size of the nucleus.'
Why do atomic electrons not appreciably affect the trajectory of alpha-particles in the Rutherford scattering experiment?
The NCERT text explains, 'The atomic electrons, being so light, do not appreciably affect the a-particles.'
Rutherford is credited with the discovery of the nucleus because his scattering experiment showed that:
The text states, 'This agreement supported the hypothesis of the nuclear atom. This is why Rutherford is credited with the discovery of the nucleus.' This hypothesis was that 'the greater part of the mass of the atom and its positive charge were concentrated tightly at its centre.'
If you were to repeat the alpha-particle scattering experiment using a thin sheet of solid hydrogen instead of gold foil, what result would you expect?
This is taken from 'EXERCISES 12.2 Suppose you are given a chance to repeat the alpha-particle scattering experiment using a thin sheet of solid hydrogen in place of the gold foil. (Hydrogen is a solid at temperatures below 14 K.) What results do you expect?' The key insight is that hydrogen has only one proton (Z=1), meaning its nucleus is much smaller and has a much weaker electric field compared to gold (Z=79). Therefore, the repulsive force on the alpha particles ($2e$ charge) would be significantly less, and most alpha particles would pass through with minimal or no deflection.
Which of the following statements correctly describes Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction?
Faraday’s laws of induction imply that the emf induced in a coil of N turns is directly related to the rate of change of flux through it. ($\epsilon = -N \frac{d\Phi_B}{dt}$).
Lenz's Law is a direct consequence of the conservation of which physical quantity?
Lenz’s law states that the polarity of the induced emf is such that it tends to produce a current which opposes the change in magnetic flux that produces it. This opposition ensures that the induced current does work against the change in flux, which is consistent with the conservation of energy.
A metal rod of length $l$ is moved with velocity $v$ perpendicular to a uniform magnetic field $B$. The induced motional emf across its ends is given by:
When a metal rod of length $l$ is placed normal to a uniform magnetic field $B$ and moved with a velocity $v$ perpendicular to the field, the induced emf (called motional emf) across its ends is $\epsilon = Blv$.
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