Modern Physics > Atomic Physics
 DCS# 7D50.10
RUTHERFORD SCATTERING MODEL

APPARATUS
wooden potential model and ramp
 202-13-B-1
steel ball
 202-14-E4

DESCRIPTION
The hill has a roughly 1/r shape and represents the Coulomb potential near the nucleus.  The balls represent alpha particles.  You can vary their energy and direction with the release height and direction of the ramp.

NOTES

This animation shows the angular distribution of the scattered particles, and the dependence on energy:   http://www.physics.upenn.edu/courses/gladney/phys351/classes/Scattering/Rutherford_Scattering.html