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The diameter of an atom is about how many times larger than the diameter of its nucleus?
AAbout 100 times
BAbout 10 times
C100,000 times over
DAbout 1,000 times
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. 100,000 times over
1. The diameter of an atom is on the order of ten to the minus 10 metres.
2. The diameter of the nucleus is roughly ten to the minus 15 metres.
3. Dividing one by the other gives a factor of about 100,000.
4. That is why the nucleus is described as about 100,000 times smaller than the atom.
5. The huge ratio is exactly why most alpha particles sail straight through.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 'Atoms, Molecules, and Ions', sections 2.1-2.6_
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