Are the nucleons fundamental particles, or do they consist of still smaller parts? One way to find out is to probe a nucleon just as Rutherford probed an atom. What should be the kinetic energy of an electron for it to be able to probe a nucleon? Assume the diameter of a nucleon to be approximately 10-15 m.

Hint: To detect nucleons, the wavelength of the electron should be less than the size of the nucleon.
Step 1: Find the wavelength of the electron.
Each particle (neutron and proton) present inside the nucleus is called a nucleon.
Let λ be the wavelength, λ=10-15 m
To detect separate parts inside a nucleon, the electron must have a wavelength less than 10-15 m.
Step 2: Find the energy of the electron.
We know that,
λ=hpandKE=PE......(i)
Energy=hcλ.........(ii)
FromEq.(i)andEq.(ii),
Kineticenergyofelectron=PE=hcλ=6.6×10-34×3×10810-15×1.6×1019eV
KE=109eV