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Chapter 17

Summary
The α-particle scattering experiment provides evidence for the existence of a small, massive
and positively charged nucleus at the centre of the atom.
Most of the mass of an atom is concentrated in its nucleus.
The nucleus consists of protons and neutrons, and is surrounded by a cloud of electrons.
The number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom is called its nucleon number A.
The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is called its proton number (or atomic number) Z.
Isotopes are nuclei of the same element with a different number of neutrons but the same
number of protons.
Different isotopes (or nuclides, if referring to the nucleus only) can be represented by the notation AZ X,
where X is the chemical symbol for the element.
There are three types of ionising radiation produced by radioactive substances: α-particles,
β-particles and γ-rays.
In radioactive decay, the following quantities are conserved: proton number, nucleon number and
mass–energy.
The most strongly ionising, and hence the least penetrating, is α-radiation. The least strongly ionising
is γ-radiation.
Because of their different charges, masses and speeds, the different types of radiation can be identified
by the effect of an electric or magnetic field.
Nuclear decay is a spontaneous and random process. This unpredictability means that count rates tend
to fluctuate, and we have to measure average quantities.

AS and A Level Physics © Cambridge University Press Study

Summary
skills 1
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