Rutherford alpha-particle scattering

Fire alpha particles at a gold nucleus. Watch Coulomb-repulsion hyperbolic paths, the scattering angle as a function of impact parameter, the distance of closest approach and why a few particles bounce straight back.

About this experiment

What you do in the lab

Change the controls and watch the physics behave in real time in 3D. Live readouts and graphs show the numbers behind it, and the Learn tab has the theory, procedure, observations and viva questions. Works on a phone or a laptop, in English and Hindi.

Topics: Rutherford · alpha scattering · nucleus · impact parameter · distance of closest approach

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