How did Rutherford prepare the gold leaf for the gold leaf test?

In summary, Rutherford prepared the gold leaf for the gold leaf test by hammering a small piece of gold into a thin sheet, which was then cut into smaller squares and placed on a piece of mica. The mica was then mounted onto a metal frame and coated with a thin layer of oil to prevent the gold leaf from sticking to the frame. This allowed for the gold leaf to be easily manipulated and used in the gold leaf experiment, which ultimately led to the discovery of the atomic nucleus.
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Hasal
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How did Rutherford prepare the gold leaf for the gold leaf test (at that time)
 
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Welcome to PF.

Hasal said:
How did Rutherford prepare the gold leaf for the gold leaf test (at that time)
What have you found in your reading and research so far? Please post links to your sources. Thank you.

Also, is this question for schoolwork?
 
  • #3
berkeman said:
Welcome to PF.What have you found in your reading and research so far? Please post links to your sources. Thank you.

Also, is this question for schoolwork?
Dear sir, I am a high school student, so this is for schoolwork.
While learning about Rutherford's gold leaf test in the study of atomic structure, I was taught that it was done by shining a beam of accelerated alpha rays on a gold leaf. Alpha rays can be blocked by air or by paper. So how did he make the thickness of the gold so small?(thikness of gold foil- 0.6 μm)

Is it possible to believe that the technology called gold beating has been used for this?
Thank you.

Gold beating:- https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/BF03215119.pdf

The experiment:-
https://www.vrlabacademy.com/NewsDe...World--Rutherford-s-Gold-Foil-Experiment.html
 
  • #4
Hasal said:
Dear sir, I am a high school student, so this is for schoolwork.
Thank you; I've moved your thread to the schoolwork forums now.

Hasal said:
While learning about Rutherford's gold leaf test in the study of atomic structure, I was taught that it was done by shining a beam of accelerated alpha rays on a gold leaf. Alpha rays can be blocked by air or by paper.
Yes, so they used an evacuated tube for the experiments, it appears:
1689180070904.png

http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/sivulka2/

Hasal said:
So how did he make the thickness of the gold so small?(thikness of gold foil- 0.6 μm)

Is it possible to believe that the technology called gold beating has been used for this?
That's an interesting question. I'm still looking for that information for that time period... :smile:
 
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A book of Gold Leaf ("Dutch Metal") can be purchased from a lab equipment supplier for £17. I am not sure if Rutherford had to make it even thinner.
 
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The original Geiger article can actually be found:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspa.1910.0038
Geiger comments on metals being "available" in different thicknesses, except tin, which was "available" in only one thickness. Suggesting that Geiger used foils prepared by others for other purposes, and was restricted to thicknesses others had chosen.
 
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Hasal said:
Is it possible to believe that the technology called gold beating has been used for this?
Yes. This is very old tech.
 
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FAQ: How did Rutherford prepare the gold leaf for the gold leaf test?

How did Rutherford prepare the gold leaf for the gold leaf test?

Rutherford himself did not prepare the gold leaf; rather, he used commercially available gold leaf, which is extremely thin gold foil. The gold leaf was prepared by goldbeaters who hammered gold into thin sheets.

Why was gold leaf chosen for Rutherford's experiment?

Gold leaf was chosen because it can be made extremely thin, allowing alpha particles to pass through it. This thinness was crucial for observing the deflection of alpha particles, as thicker materials would absorb or block the particles entirely.

How thin was the gold leaf used in Rutherford's experiment?

The gold leaf used in Rutherford's experiment was about 0.000004 inches (approximately 100 nanometers) thick. This thinness allowed alpha particles to pass through with minimal obstruction, making it ideal for the scattering experiment.

Was any special equipment used to handle the gold leaf?

Yes, special tools such as fine tweezers and brushes were used to handle the delicate gold leaf. The gold leaf is so thin that it can be easily torn or damaged, so careful handling was essential.

Did the preparation of the gold leaf affect the results of Rutherford's experiment?

The preparation of the gold leaf did not significantly affect the results of the experiment. The key factor was the thinness of the gold leaf, which allowed the alpha particles to pass through and be scattered, leading to the groundbreaking discovery of the atomic nucleus.

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