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Theme E — Nuclear and Quantum Physics

E.1.6 Deviations from Rutherford Scattering — IB Physics HL Revision Notes & Topical Questions

5 min read 9 parts Lesson 8 of 45 1 quiz

📚 IB Physics HL Hub / Topical Revision
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Curriculum Equation Key قوانين الرقم الهيدروجيني والاتزان الأيوني - pH & Acid-Base Equilibrium FormulasFast Exam Solution
pH = -log[H⁺] | pOH = -log[OH⁻] | pH + pOH = 14 | [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴
Word Equation & Conditions: الرقم الهيدروجيني = -لوغاريتم تركيز أيون الهيدروجين | pH + pOH = 14
Location & Specifications: الاتزان الأيوني، كيمياء 3 ثانوي، التحصيلي، و AP Chemistry.
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Lesson summary

E.1.6 Deviations from Rutherford Scattering — IB PHYSICS HL notes: Explain why high-energy alpha particles deviate from Rutherford scattering and what this shows about the strong force, nuclear size and quarks.Assumption — only electrostatic repulsion between point charges acts, …

  • Prediction
  • Observation
  • Range of the strong force
  • Closest approach
  • Electric force
  • Greatest deviation

Part 1 of 7What Rutherford predicted

Assumption
  • Assumption only electrostatic repulsion between point charges acts, and the target nucleus stays fixed
Prediction
  • Prediction as the scattering angle increases, the number of alpha particles scattered decreases
Agreement
  • Agreement found correct at low to moderately high energies for alpha particles of a few MeV on gold
Failure
  • Failure the prediction fails if the projectile gets close enough to feel other forces or the target recoils

Part 2 of 7Deviations at high energy

1Energy
  • Energy above about 27.5 MeV significant deviations are observed
2Observation
  • Observation the number of back-scattered alpha particles falls sharply to zero instead of following the expected rate
3Cause
  • Cause the alpha particles come close enough to the nucleons to feel the strong nuclear force
4Range of the strong force
  • Range of the strong force significant below about 1.5 fm and acting over roughly 1–3 fm
5Evidence
  • Evidence deviations provide evidence for the strong nuclear force
6Closest approach
  • Closest approach it becomes comparable to the nuclear radius

Part 3 of 7Effect of the target nucleus

Electric force
  • F = kqQ/r2, so a nucleus with smaller charge lets the alpha particle approach closer at the same energy
Gold
  • Z = 79
Aluminium
  • Z = 13, so alpha particles get closer and more deviation is seen
Greatest deviation
  • Greatest deviation high alpha energy and target nuclei of low nucleon number
Light targets
  • Light targets if the target is as light as the alpha particle, it recoils, so scattering angles differ from the fixed-target calculation

Part 4 of 7Electron diffraction and nuclear size

Electrons as probes
  • Electrons as probes they do not feel the strong force and interact only electromagnetically and weakly
Wavelength
  • λ = h/p can be smaller than a nucleus at high energy
Pattern
  • Pattern scattered intensity shows diffraction with a first minimum that gives the nuclear radius
Charge distribution
  • Charge distribution electron scattering probes the nuclear charge distribution

Part 5 of 7Deep inelastic scattering

1Higher energy electrons
  • Higher energy electrons many GeV electrons on protons deviate from point-like scattering
2Result
  • Result there are small hard point-like centres inside the proton
3Charges
  • Charges the centres have fractional charge
4Conclusion
  • Conclusion protons and neutrons contain quarks
5First done
  • First done at Stanford in the late 1960s

Part 6 of 7What each probe shows

ProjectileWhat deviation shows
Alpha particlesThe strong force and the range of nuclear forces
ElectronsThe charge distribution and radius of the nucleus
Very high-energy electronsThe internal structure of nucleons

Part 7 of 7More from the specification

Alpha trajectory around nuclear orbit
  • Alpha trajectory around nuclear orbit high-energy alpha particles penetrating close nuclear distances deviate from Rutherford scattering, escaping classical Coulomb scattering orbit.
Deviations from Rutherford Scattering
  • At extremely high alpha particle energies, particles penetrate close enough to the gold nucleus to experience the attractive strong nuclear force,
  • causing deviations from pure Coulomb scattering predictions.
Hydrogen Spectral Series
  • Electron transitions down to the n=1 ground state produce the ultraviolet Lyman series, transitions to n=2 produce the visible Balmer series,
  • and transitions to n=3 yield the infrared Paschen spectrum.
The Rydberg Equation
  • The wavelengths of emission photons from atomic hydrogen are calculated using the Rydberg equation: 1 / λ = RH * (1/n₁² - 1/n₂²),
  • where RH is the Rydberg constant.
Quantization of Photons and Energy Levels
  • Absorption spectra are produced when cold atomic gas absorbs photons whose energy precisely matches the difference between atomic levels, leaving distinct dark absorption lines on a continuous spectrum.
Angular momentum
  • L = Iω for a rigid body; L = mvr⊥ for a particle.
Emission spectrum
  • The set of discrete wavelengths emitted by excited atoms of an element.
Photon
  • A quantum of electromagnetic energy, E = hf
Spectrum
  • Range of colours in white light.
Constant
  • Not changing.
Momentum
  • P = mv, a vector.
Density
  • Mass per unit volume.
Absorption
  • The conversion of wave energy to internal energy of the medium.
Energy level
  • A discrete energy an electron in an atom can have
Photon energy
  • E = hf = hc/λ, the energy carried by one photon.
∆E
∆E hf = E2 − E1
What the symbols mean: E = energy of one photon (J) · h = Planck constant (6.63 × 10−34 J s) · f = frequency (Hz)

Key terms

TermMeaning
Strong nuclear forceThe short-range attractive force between nucleons.
Rutherford scatteringScattering of charged particles by a nucleus through electrostatic repulsion alone.
Deep inelastic scatteringScattering of very high-energy electrons by nucleons that revealed quarks.
Electron diffractionDiffraction of electrons used to measure nuclear radius.
QuarkA fundamental particle that makes up protons and neutrons.

Avoid these mistakes

1
Saying the deviation shows Coulomb's law fails — other forces, the strong force, come into play.
2
Using electrons to explain the strong force — electrons do not feel it.
3
Forgetting that Rutherford scattering assumes a heavy fixed target.
4
Thinking deviations appear at low energies — they appear when the particle gets close at high energy.
5
Confusing electron diffraction with alpha scattering — electrons probe charge distribution and alphas probe the force range.

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