Quasielastic<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>(</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:mi>e</mml:mi><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:msup><mml:mi>e</mml:mi><mml:mo>′</mml:mo></mml:msup><mml:mi>p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mo>)</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:mrow></mml:math>reaction on<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:mmultiscripts><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">C</mml:mi><mml:mprescripts/><mml:none/><mml:mrow><mml:mn>12</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:mmultiscripts><mml:mo>,</mml:mo><mml:mmultiscripts><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Fe</mml:mi><mml:mprescripts/><mml:none/><mml:mrow><mml:mn>56</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:mmultiscripts></mml:mrow></mml:math>, and<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:mmultiscripts><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Au</mml:mi><mml:mprescripts/><mml:none/><mml:mrow><mml:mn>197</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:mmultiscripts></mml:mrow></mml:math>

We report the results from a systematic study of the quasielastic $(e,{e}^{\ensuremath{'}}p)$ reaction on $^{12}\mathrm{C},\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}^{56}\mathrm{Fe}$, and $^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ performed at Jefferson Lab. We have measured nuclear transparency and extracted spectral functions (corrected for radiation) over a ${Q}^{2}$ range of $0.64--3.25\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}{(\text{GeV}∕c)}^{2}$ for all three nuclei. In addition, we have extracted separated longitudinal and transverse spectral functions at ${Q}^{2}$ of 0.64 and $1.8\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}{(\text{GeV}∕c)}^{2}$ for these three nuclei (except for $^{197}\mathrm{Au}$ at the higher ${Q}^{2}$). The spectral functions are compared to a number of theoretical calculations. The measured spectral functions differ in detail but not in overall shape from most of the theoretical models. In all three targets the measured spectral functions show considerable excess transverse strength at ${Q}^{2}=0.64\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}{(\text{GeV}∕c)}^{2}$, which is much reduced at $1.8\phantom{\rule{0.5em}{0ex}}{(\text{GeV}∕c)}^{2}$.