This causes the nucleus to become uranium-236, which is violently unstable. ... Test your knowledge with this quiz on the nuclear model of the atom. Back to top. Teaching resources.

The experiments confirmed that gold nuclei maintain a consistent, almost spherical shape. In contrast, uranium nuclei displayed a more dynamic, elongated form, resembling a deflated American football.

The tests used uranium that had been stripped of all but two of its normal swarm of 92 electrons to form an ion, or electrically charged atom. This uranium ion is termed “helium-like uranium ...

When we dig uranium out of the ground, 99.27% of it is uranium-238, which has 92 protons and 146 neutrons. Only 0.72% of it is uranium-235 with 92 protons and 143 neutrons (the remaining 0.01% are ...