A simulation at the nuclear level has nuclei with 20 protons and 100 neutrons. Alpha particles can get very close to the nuclei. When the nuclei have 100 protons and 20 neutrons, the alpha particles cannot get as close to the nuclei. The nucleus is the same size in both scenarios. Why does the motion of the alpha particles differ?(1 point)

Question

A simulation at the nuclear level has nuclei with 20 protons and 100 neutrons. Alpha particles can get very close to the nuclei. When the nuclei have 100 protons and 20 neutrons, the alpha particles cannot get as close to the nuclei. The nucleus is the same size in both scenarios. Why does the motion of the alpha particles differ?(1 point)
Responses

Neutrons repel the particles, while protons do not.
Neutrons repel the particles, while protons do not.

Protons attract the particles, while neutrons do not.
Protons attract the particles, while neutrons do not.

Protons repel the particles, while neutrons do not.
Protons repel the particles, while neutrons do not.

Neutrons attract the particles, while protons do not.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The correct response is: **Protons attract the particles, while neutrons do not.** In the scenario with 20 protons and 100 neutrons, the alpha particles can get close to the nucleus because the protons (which are positively charged) exert an attractive force on the positively charged alpha particles. The presence of neutrons does not affect this interaction, as neutrons are neutral and do not exert an electrostatic force. In the scenario with 100 protons and 20 neutrons, the increased positive charge of the nucleus leads to a stronger repulsive force between the alpha particles and the protons. This increase in repulsion prevents the alpha particles from getting as close to the nucleus compared to the first scenario where there are fewer protons.