Experiments on scattering of alpha-particles demonstrated that the radius of a nucleus is smaller th

Question

Experiments on scattering of alpha-particles demonstrated that the radius of a nucleus is smaller than the radius of an atom by a factor of about $10^4$. What is the approximate ratio of the volume of the atom to the volume of the nucleus?

Professor PC Thomas Classes · Answer

Volume is proportional to the cube of the radius. Since the radius ratio of atom to nucleus is $10^4$, the volume ratio is $(10^4)^3 = 10^{12}$.