Discussion
In X-ray diffraction, the rays are scattered from :
Answer: C
X-rays are scattered by the electron cloud in the crystal.
X-rays are electromagnetic waves; their oscillating electric field drives the electrons of each atom, which re-radiate coherently (Thomson scattering). That is why X-ray diffraction maps electron density, why heavy atoms with many electrons scatter strongly, and why hydrogen atoms are hard to locate.
Nuclei are far too heavy to be driven appreciably by the field, so their scattering of X-rays is negligible; nuclei scatter neutrons, which is the basis of neutron diffraction. Phonons cause thermal diffuse scattering, a minor effect, and the electrostatic potential is what electrons, not X-rays, are diffracted by.
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