Nucleur Stability Flashcards
What’s Thompson’s Plum Pudding Model of the Atom?
In 1904 J.J. Thompson came up with the first modern model of the atom and introduced the notion of subatomic particles, it exhibited a sea of positive charge with electrons distributed uniformly throughout the atom (REFER TO DIAGRAM).
What force holds the atomic nucleus together? (fucking shitly worded lock in on answer)
The atomic nucleus is made up of densely packed protons and neutrons that are held together by strong attractive nuclear forces
What did Rutherford’s gold foil experiment reveal about atomic structure, and how did he discover it?
Atoms have a dense, positively charged nucleus. Rutherford discovered this by bombarding gold foil with alpha particles—most passed through, but some deflected sharply, proving the nucleus exists.
What is the strong nuclear force?
It’s the force that holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus, overcoming Coulomb repulsion. It acts at a very short range (~1 fm) and is independent of electric charge.
Why do protons in the nucleus repel each other (refer to Coulomb’s Law)?
Protons repel each other due to Coulomb’s Law, which states that like charges experience electrostatic repulsion.
How is nuclear stability determined?
Nuclear stability depends on the strong nuclear force (which holds nucleons together), electrostatic repulsion (between protons), and the neutron-to-proton (N/Z) ratio. A balanced N/Z ratio keeps the nucleus stable.
