Accelerated electron beams are often used to study features of atoms on the surfaces of materials. If you wanted to alter the design of an electron accelerator to produce an electron beam appropriate for the studying the nuclei of atoms instead, what would be the appropriate alteration?
A) Decrease the transverse beam size
B) Increase the transverse beam size
C) Decrease the number of electrons per unit time in the beam
D) Increase the number of electrons per unit time in the beam
E) Increase the energy of the electrons in the beam
F) Decrease the energy of the electrons in the beam

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To study the nuclei of atoms, which are much smaller and require higher energy interactions than studying surface features, increasing the energy of the electrons in the beam is necessary. This allows the electrons to penetrate deeper into the atomic structure and interact with the nuclei.

Accelerated Electron Beams Are Often Used to Study Features of Atoms