Early Models of Atoms - Show Me The Physics

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What did most of the alpha particles do when
Rutherford shot them at the thin gold foil?

How do we know molecules exist
when we can't see them?

PhysicsAnimations
YouTube Channel

Brownian Motion

St. Mary's University
in Nova Scotia, Canada

The Real Thing

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Use the file below.

Brownian_motion.mov

showmethephysics.com

Slideshow

Fill In The Blank Notes

III. Early Models of Atoms

A) Rutherford Model of Atom (1911)

Listen to Rutherford talk
about the atom

Rutherford shot alpha particles at a thin gold foil to learn about the atom

Prentice Hall
Onsite

Alpha particle

Thin gold foil

What explains their
curved path??

Repulsive electrical force
(A.K.A. Coulomb Force)

Unexpected:

Large deflection angles

Alpha Particle Scattering - Flash

[ HTML5 ]

showmrthephysics.com

Indicates strong forces

Model Based on
Alpha Particle Scattering Experiment

Rutherford Experiment

www.CosmoLearning.com

(onsite)

Rutherford Scattering
Applet
- © 1995-2007 by Michael W. Davidson
and Florida State University

Rutherford Scattering
Michael Fowler

showmethephysics.com

Slideshow

Conclusions:

1) Most of the volume of the atom is ...

Space_Between_Atoms

Empty Space

(nucleus 1 x 10^-15 m)

Did you know ...

A neutron star is created when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses. This tremendous gravitational collapse squeezes all the empty space out of the atom. Electrons merge with protons and create neutrons.

The density of a neutron is so enormous that a teaspoon of a neutron star would weigh 20 billion pounds!!!

- Cornell Astronomy

Cornell

Did you know ... If the
atom were the size of a football stadium, the
nucleus would be the
size of a....

.... a marble!!!

- Encyclop. of
Science

That's why most alpha particles go straight through!!!

2) Virtually all mass atom found in ...

... the nucleus

3) Strong, positive charge in the center of atom

That's why positive alpha particles were curved so strongly

"Other Side of Infinity"
Movie Trailer

Relative Sizes in the Atom

showmethephyics.com

Hear Thomson talk the Electron

Bohr Model of Atom