2003 AIPMT NucleiSize of the Nucleus Easy Question 4 of 4 in Size of the Nucleus

The volume occupied by an atom is greater than the volume of the nucleus by a factor of about

A $10^1$
B $10^5$
C $10^{10}$
D $10^{15}$

The answer is D.

Solution

Size of an atom $\approx 10^{-10}$ m; size of a nucleus $\approx 10^{-15}$ m.
Volume is proportional to the cube of the radius.
$\dfrac{\text{Volume of atom}}{\text{Volume of nucleus}} \sim \left(\dfrac{10^{-10}}{10^{-15}}\right)^3 = (10^5)^3 = 10^{15}$
So the atom occupies about $10^{15}$ times the volume of its nucleus; the atom is mostly empty space.

Concept Ratio of atomic and nuclear sizes

Size of the Nucleus in past papers

4 questions from this chapter have appeared across 4 exam years.