Name:_____________________________________________ Date: _______________________ Period:___
The Mystery of Matter: Into the Atom video and questions
They questions are in the order they appear in the video
1. What happened when a magnet was placed near the beam in the tube?
a. The rays changed colors
b. The rays bent
c. The rays reversed their path
d. Nothing
2. What are the names of the particles that are given off when atoms decay?
a. Omega Particles and Alpha particles
b. Beta Particles and Delta Particles
c. Delta Particles and Alpha Particles
d. Alpha particles and Beta particles
3. Since the atoms are generally neutral (in terms of charge) and the scientists knew that the electron was
negatively charged, what was the conclusion they could logically come to?
a. That there must be more negative particles in the atom
b. That there must be only neutral particles in the atom
c. That there must be a positive charge somewhere in the atom
d. That the electrons can change their charge
4. Below, draw a picture of what was happening in the experiment with the gold foil and the alpha particles
being shot at it (Hint: How big and what charge was the center of the atom, and what happened when
another positive particle hit the center of the atom?)
5. When an x-ray is fired at a specific element, what happens?
a. Specific wavelengths are reflected and create a kind of “bar code” for each type of element
b. The element heats up and we can identify the element by the color of its glow
c. The element will begin to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise based on whether or not it is a
metal
d. The protons fall away and they can be counted to identify the specific element
6. What ingenious technique did the scientist (Mosley) use to look at the spectrum of each element all at
one time without having to constantly use the lab’s vacuum pump?
a. He made many small vacuum tubes
b. He combined the elements into one large sample
c. He made a small “railroad car” that he could use to move each sample into place one at a time
within the vacuum tube.
7. When mosley looked at his results and compared them to the atomic number, what subatomic particle
could he conclude he discovered?
a. Nucleus
b. Electron
c. Proton
d. Neutron
8. Astonishingly, Mosley’s discovery about the new particle would allow him to…
a. Predict undiscovered elements
b. Change one element to another with ease
c. Change the fundamental placement of the particles within the atom
d. Reverse the orbits of electrons
9. The final sub atomic particle discovered ___________ resides in the nucleus of the atom and has a
neutral/No charge.
a. Proton
b. Neutron
c. Electron
d. Positron
10. What was so important about the neutron that made it the perfect tool to use for nuclear fission?
a. It was bigger than all of the other particles
b. It could move faster than all of the other particles
c. It was smaller than all of the other particles
d. It was neutral particle, meaning it would not be repelled (pushed away) by the protons in the
nucleus
11. What is the main force in the cyclotron that makes the proton fly around faster and faster and faster?
a. They give it more gasoline all the time
b. It gets more solar energy as it goes
c. It is constantly chasing the negatively charged plate that switches from positive to negative very
quickly
d. It gains more and more electrical energy
12. All matter are made of what parts
a. Protons, Positrons and Neutrinos
b. Electrons, Protons and Neutrons
c. Neutrons, Positrons and protons
d. Electrons, Positrons and Nuclei
ANSWER KEY
1. B
2. D
3. C
4. (The picture of this can be found between 8:30 in the video and 9:00)
5. A
6. C
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. D
11. C
12. B
