A simulation at the nuclear level has nuclei with 20 protons and 100 neutrons. Alpha particles can get very close to the nuclei. When the nuclei have 100 protons and 20 neutrons, the alpha particles cannot get as close to the nuclei. The nucleus is the same size in both scenarios. Why does the motion of the alpha particles differ?
1) Neutrons repel the particles, while protons do not.
2) Neutrons attract the particles, while protons do not.
3) Protons attract the particles, while neutrons do not.
4) Protons repel the particles, while neutrons do not.
The correct answer is 3) Protons attract the particles, while neutrons do not.
The motion of alpha particles is influenced by the electromagnetic force, which is responsible for the attraction or repulsion between charged particles. The positively charged protons in the nucleus attract the alpha particles, while the electrically neutral neutrons do not exert any significant force on the alpha particles. Therefore, when the nucleus has more protons and fewer neutrons, there are more positive charges to attract the alpha particles, leading to a stronger binding force between them. This results in the alpha particles not being able to get as close to the nucleus compared to when the nucleus has more neutrons and fewer protons.
The correct answer is 3) Protons attract the particles, while neutrons do not.
The motion of the alpha particles differs because of the electromagnetic force between the charged particles in the nuclei and the alpha particles. Protons have a positive charge, while neutrons have no charge. According to Coulomb's law, particles with like charges repel each other, while particles with opposite charges attract each other.
In the first scenario, where the nuclei have 20 protons and 100 neutrons, the alpha particles (which consist of 2 protons and 2 neutrons) can get very close to the nuclei because the protons in the nuclei attract them due to their positive charge.
In the second scenario, where the nuclei have 100 protons and 20 neutrons, the alpha particles cannot get as close to the nuclei. This is because the increased number of protons in the nuclei results in a stronger electromagnetic force of attraction between the protons and the alpha particles. As a result, the alpha particles experience a stronger resistance in approaching the nuclei, causing their motion to differ compared to the first scenario.
To determine why the motion of the alpha particles differs in the two scenarios, we need to consider the nature of the forces acting between particles at the nuclear level.
In both scenarios, the size of the nucleus, which is determined by the number of protons and neutrons, remains the same. However, the number of protons and neutrons is reversed, meaning one scenario has 20 protons and 100 neutrons, while the other has 100 protons and 20 neutrons.
The primary forces involved at the nuclear level are the electromagnetic force and the strong nuclear force. The electromagnetic force acts between charged particles, such as protons, while the strong nuclear force acts between both protons and neutrons.
In the first scenario, where the nucleus has 20 protons and 100 neutrons, the alpha particles can get very close to the nucleus. This is because the alpha particles, which consist of two protons and two neutrons, are positively charged particles that are attracted to the negatively charged neutrons in the nucleus through the electromagnetic force. Since there are many more neutrons than protons, the overall effect of the electromagnetic force is to attract the alpha particles towards the nucleus.
In the second scenario, where the nucleus has 100 protons and 20 neutrons, the alpha particles cannot get as close to the nucleus. This is because the alpha particles, being positively charged, are repelled by the positively charged protons in the nucleus through the electromagnetic force. Since there are many more protons than neutrons, the overall effect of the electromagnetic force is to repel the alpha particles away from the nucleus.
Based on this understanding, we can conclude that the correct answer is:
4) Protons repel the particles, while neutrons do not.
It is important to note that in addition to the electromagnetic force, the strong nuclear force also plays a significant role in holding the nucleus together. However, it does not directly affect the motion of the alpha particles in this context.