In Rutherford's classic alpha scattering experiment, he used very thin
gold foil as the target of an alpha particle beam.  The thin gold foil
was supposedly thin enough that it was only about one atomic layer
thick, but Rutherford probably hammered his gold to its thickness so
the foil could not have been impossibly thin.

I am recreating the Rutherford scattering experiment, as I know that
many undergraduate universities (such as MIT and Berkeley) do in their
student labs.  I need to either purchase or make the thin gold foil,
and I want to know how.

Is there a place (website/store) that I can purchase a gold foil thin
enough for this experiment, or is there a method that is standard
practice to create such foils?

Howdy m2f-ga,

Fortunately, the work has been done for you in the form of gold leaf.

Even though gold leaf is mostly used in art work these days, it is
just right for Rutherford's alpha scattering experiment as well as
making electroscopes, etc.

The ScienceDaily site describes the use of gold leaf in this experiment.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/encyclopedia/rutherford_scattering

"Rutherford conducted an experiment whereby he shot a beam of alpha
particles ... at layers of gold leaf only a few atoms thick."

Some information on gold leaf, such as thickness, and how to apply it,
can be found on the Goss Design Studio web site.  You should read the
entire page as it has some handy tips.
http://www.makersgallery.com/goss/goldleaf.html

"Leaf metal varies from 1/8000 mm to 1/10,000 mm [0.125 - 0.1 µm] in
thickness."

You might want to get "patent" gold leaf as it is easier to handle, due
to the fragility of the gold leaf, according to this by Andrew Werby.
http://users.lmi.net/~drewid/Gold_leaf.html

"This may be less of a problem if you are attempting to gild relatively
flat surfaces; in which case you can use 'patent' gold, which is the same
material lightly attached to a backing sheet of paper so that it may be
transferred more easily."

You will want to get a "book" of gold leaf, which is usually 25 "leaves"
or sheets that are 3-3/8" x 3-3/8" in size.  It runs $20 to $30 a book.

Here are some suppliers for you.

J. Freeman, Inc.
http://www.jfreeman.com/sign_materials.html

Pearl art supply
http://www.pearlpaint.com/pearl/geritgolleaf3.html

It might be intersting to test different materials in the experiment, such
as silver of palladium.  These types of leaf, along with gold, can be found
on the C&R LOO, Inc. web site.
http://www.crloo.com/Products/Fusing___Glassworking_Supplies/Metal_Leaf___Foil/metal_leaf___foil.html

Silver Leaf ... 7.00
Aluminum Leaf ... 8.00
Copper Leaf ... 9.00
23k Gold Leaf ... 27.00
Gold Leaf 23.5K German ... 27.00
Palladium Leaf 25 Sheets ... 50.00

Art or craft supply stores sometimes carry gold leaf, so you might want to
call some stores in your area to see if you can source it locally.

If you need any clarification, feel free to ask.


Search Strategy

Prior experience of the uses of gold leaf.

Google search on: "gold leaf"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22gold+leaf%22

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

I love google and I love google researchers.

I originally thought this information would not be particularly hard
to find, but after googling for it myself for a while, I couldn't seem
to find a site that detailed the gold that Rutherford used (maybe I'm
just not as good at googling!)

Since I had to find out fast, I decided to consult an authority, and
what better or faster way to find one than google answers! I gave it a
try and the response was speedy, thorough, and friendly. This service
is nothing short of amazing.

Howdy m2f-ga,

Don't feel bad at all about this.  I just happened to have (strange) cross
disciplinary experience with physics, electronics and art, so I have used
gold leaf in both an electroscope experiment and some frames I built.  The
experiences were a decade apart and decades ago, but I still remember the
hassle of working with the stuff.

Apologies on "silver of palladium," which should read "silver or palladium."

Greatly appreciate the kind comments and the 5 star rating.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher