BRAINCAKERutherford's α-Particle Scattering Experiment.
In 1911, Ernest Rutherford carried out an experiment to probe the atom. He directed a narrow beam of α-particles all with the same kinetic energy at a thin gold foil only a few atoms thick. The alpha particles were detected by a detector which could be moved around at a fixed distance from where the alpha particle beam hit the metal foil. A microscope was used to observe the point of light emitted by the α-particles hitting a fluorescent screen.
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Key terms in this lesson
- alpha radiation
- Ionising radiation consisting of alpha particles, each made of two protons and two neutrons, emitted from an unstable nucleus.
More in Radioactivity
- Rutherford's Interpretation
- Radioactivity
- Radioactivity Observations
- Geiger Tube
- The nature of α, β and γ Radiation.
- Gamma radiation
- Radioactive Change
- The Dangers of Radioactivity
All 25 lessons in Radioactivity · All OCR A-level Physics topics