MediumChemistryHigh School (9–10)GeneralStructure of the Atom › Subatomic Particles and Atomic ModelsNumerical
An atom is about 100 000 times wider than its nucleus.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
An atom is about times wider than its nucleus.
- If an atom were as wide as a town, across, how wide would its nucleus be?
- If a nucleus were a mustard seed across, how wide would the atom be?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
In the gold foil experiment, most alpha particles passed straight through, a few were turned, and a very few bounced back. So an atom is mostly empty space, with a tiny, heavy, positive nucleus at its centre. The atom is about times wider than its nucleus.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) . , which is .
Step 2. (b) . .
Answer: (a) , about the size of a lemon in the middle of a whole town. (b) .
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