A physicist has developed a device that generates a beam of alpha particles (eac

Question

A physicist has developed a device that generates a beam of alpha particles (each of which is a helium nucleus, consisting of two protons, two neutrons, and no electrons). The device ejects a steady stream of 2870 alpha particles per second. You are testing different shielding materials for a test chamber that will house the alpha particle generator. You prepare a sheet of one potential material in an electrically neutral state, mount it on a perfectly insulating stand, and fire the alpha particle device at it for 12.3 seconds. Afterward, you measure that the charge of the sheet is 1.73 times 10-15 coulombs. Assume that none of the alpha particles bounced back from the sheet, meaning that the alpha particles either were captured by the shielding or penetrated completely through the shielding. What percentage of the alpha pa it ides penetrated completely through the shielding material?

Explanation / Answer

total number of alpha particles= 12.3*4910=60393

total alpha particles in the sheet= 2.16*10^-15/2*1.6*10^-19 = 675

thus percentage penetrated through = ((60393 - 675 )/ 60393) *100 = 98.88%

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