Question

The nucleus of an atom can be modeled as several protons and neutrons closely packed together.Each particle has a mass of 1.67 3 10227 kg and radius on the order of 10215 m.

(a) Use this model and the data provided to estimate the density of the nucleus of an atom.
(b) Compare your result with the density of a material such as iron. What do your result and comparison suggest about the structure of matter?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Let n be number of total number of nucleons ( protons + neutrons )

Total mass inside nucleus = n x 1.67 x 10⁻²⁷ Kg

volume of nucleus = 4/3 π r³

= 1.33 x 3.14 x (10⁻¹⁵)³ m

= 4.17 x 10⁻⁴⁵ m³

Density = mass / volume

= n x 1.67 x 10⁻²⁷ / 4.17 x 10⁻⁴⁵

= .4 n x 10¹⁸ kg / m³

or of the order of 10¹⁸ kg/m³

b )

Density of iron = 7900 kg / m³

or of the order of 10⁴ kg / m³

So nucleus of a matter is about 10¹⁴ times denser than iron .