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Nuclear Radius

Q2.

(a) Show that the kinetic energy of an α particle travelling at 2.00 × 107 ms–1 is 1.34 × 10–12J when relativistic effects are ignored.

(2 marks)

(b) Calculate the closest distance of approach for a head-on collision between the α particle referred to in part (a) and a gold nucleus for which the proton number is 79. Assume that the gold nucleus remains stationary during the collision.

(4 marks)

(c) State one reason why methods other than α particle scattering are used to determine nuclear radii.

(1 mark)

(Total 7 marks)