Pre-lab Questions Experiment Post-lab Questions
EXPERIMENT 2: Rutherford's Model of the Atom
Obtain copies of the two Rutherford computer disks+, labeled Rutherford #1 (Introduction and Explanation)) and Rutherford #
Pre-lab Questions Experiment Post-lab Questions
EXPERIMENT 2: Rutherford's Model of the Atom
Obtain copies of the two Rutherford computer disks+, labeled Rutherford #1 (Introduction and Explanation)) and Rutherford #2 (Experiment Simulation Tool). Place Rutherford #1 into disk drive #1 and turn the computer on. The disk will "autoboot". The main menu is displayed with three choices;
Part 1 - Introduction and Explanation
From the main menu, select option 1, "Introduction and Explanation", by typing 1 followed by RETURN. A new menu will appear;
For instructions on using the computer, type 1 and then RETURN. A single screen containing input instructions will be displayed. Read the information and then press RETURN to go back to the menu. To review the background information on the experiment, select option 2. To move to the next screen press the 'RETURN' key. Some of the screens will not allow you to continue until the animation is complete. The message, 'RETURN' to continue, 'ESC' for menu, will appear when you can continue. When you complete the review covering the background of the experiment, the program will automatically proceed to the explanation of Rutherford's theory. Read the information contained in the background and explanation sections carefully and answer the questions listed below.
Pre-lab Questions: Top
Answer the following questions during your review of the background and explanation sections:
1. Draw the apparatus of Rutherford's experiment and identify each component.
+ The 2-disk program was written by Robert C. Rittenhouse, Department of Chemistry, Walla Walla College, College Place, WA 99324. Available from Project SERAPHIM, Department of Chemistry, University of
2. Briefly describe the basic experiment performed by Rutherford.
3. What unexpected occurrence happened during the experiment? How did Rutherford explain this?
4. What equation did Rutherford formulate to predict the relative number of particles scattered at any angle? Define all variables.
The last screen in the section explaining the theory behind Rutherford's experiment provides a different option for continuing. If you press "RETURN' you will have to remove Rutherford disk #1 and insert Rutherford disk #2 to continue the experiment. If you select 'ESC' you will return to the main menu and you must select option 2 to continue the experiment.
EXPERIMENT 2: Rutherford's Model of the Atom Top
Part 2 - Experiment Simulation Tool
After inserting Rutherford disk #2 and pressing RETURN, a short introduction will appear on the screen that briefly describes two types of experiments. Read the information and then press RETURN to continue. The main menu will appear on the screen:
Select option 1, "List and Description of Simulated Experimental Tools". Read the information and then press RETURN to return to the main menu. For future reference, the list of simulated tools is given below:
Then from the main menu, select option 2, "Experiment Design and Implementation", to begin the experiment. A new menu will appear to choose the level of experimentation:
Select option 1, "Macroscopic", from this menu.
For this experiment, the number of alpha particles at different scattering angles will be measured. After selecting the macroscopic portion of this experiment, a list of variables will be displayed.
The computer can generate a data file in which data for the two variables selected can be stored. You will not be using these data files. Instead, you will record your data in the tables provided. However, you must choose two variables to record in order to continue with the experiment. Type "A" (for scattering angle) after the computer asks for the x- variable, and type "C" (for alpha particle counts at a given angle) after it asks for the y- variable. A graph with a list of options will then appear on the screen. These options can be selected by pressing the letter that is in brackets (for example; to select <M>, type "M").
Before you begin the experiment, the metal target, the timer, and the scattering angle must be set. Select M to specify the metal for the target foil. A list of target foils and their atomic numbers are given. Select gold by entering "AU" followed by a RETURN. The program will then return to the graph and the list of options.
Enter the time in minutes for the experiment to run by selecting "T" and then typing "5" followed by RETURN. This will simulate the collection of alpha particle scattering data for a period of 5 minutes. The experiment will not actually last 5 minutes but only a few seconds.
Select "A" for the scattering angle and enter "2" followed by RETURN. This tells the computer to display the number of alpha pa