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AQA A-Level Physics > 2.0 Particles And Radiation > Flashcards

2.0 Particles And Radiation Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three main constituents of the atom

A

Nucleus: Proton, Neutron
Shells: Electrons

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2
Q

Charge of a proton in SI units

A

+1.6×10⁻¹⁹ C

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3
Q

Charge of an electron in SI units

A

-1.6×10⁻¹⁹ C

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4
Q

Charge of a neutron in SI units

A

0 C

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5
Q

Charge of a proton in relative units

A

+1

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6
Q

Charge of an electron in relative units

A

-1

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7
Q

Charge of a neutron in relative units

A

0

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8
Q

Mass of an electron in SI units

A

9.11×10⁻³¹

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9
Q

Mass of a proton in SI units

A

1.67(3)×10⁻²⁷

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10
Q

Mass of a neutron in SI units

A

1.67(5)×10⁻²⁷

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11
Q

Mass of an electron in relative units

A

1/1836

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12
Q

Mass of a proton in relative units

A

1

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13
Q

Mass of a neutron in relative units

A

1

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14
Q

Specific charge of a proton

A

9.56×10⁷

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15
Q

Specific charge of an electron

A

1.76×10¹¹

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16
Q

Definition of specific charge

A

Charge-to-mass ratio

specific charge = Charge/Mass

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17
Q

What is the nuclide notation

A

A
X
Z

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18
Q

What does A stand for in nuclide notation

A

Nucleon number

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19
Q

What does Z stand for in nuclide notation

A

Proton number

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20
Q

Define Isotope

A

A variation of an element with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons

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21
Q

Uses of isotopes

A

Carbon 14: Carbon dating of organic matter

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22
Q

What is the strong nuclear force

A

The force that holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus, counteracting the repulsive electromagnetic force between protons

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23
Q

What is the use of the strong nuclear force

A

To keep the nucleus stable

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24
Q

What range does the strong nuclear force act

A

Attraction up to 3 fm with short range repulsion below 0.5 fm

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25
Q

Why can some nuclei be unstable

A

an imbalance between the number of protons and neutrons or if the nucleus is too large, can cause excessive repulsive forces or insufficient strong nuclear forces to maintain stability.

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26
Q

What is alpha decay

A

When a nuclei is too large, it can emit an alpha particle to reduce its size via alpha decay

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27
Q

General equation for alpha decay

A

A A-4 4
X —–> Y + α
Z A-2 2

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28
Q

What is beta decay

A

When a nuclei is proton or neutron rich, it converts one to the other via beta decay

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29
Q

General equation for beta decay

A

n/p —-> p/n + e⁻/e⁺ + ̅νₑ/νₑ

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30
Q

What prompted the discovery of the neutrino

A

The apparent loss of energy and momentum in beta decay, breaking conservation laws, indicating another particle

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30
Q

Define rest energy

A

The energy equivalent to a stationary particles mass

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30
Q

What is Planck’s constant

A

6.63×10⁻³⁴

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30
Q

What is an antiparticle

A

Every particle has an antiparticle, with equal mass and rest energy but opposing charge

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30
Q

What is the antiparticle of an electron

A

Positron

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30
Q

What is the antiparticle of a proton

A

antiproton

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30
Q

What is the antiparticle of a neutron

A

antineutron

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30
Q

What is the antiparticle of a neutrino

A

antineutrino

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30
Q

What is the photon model of electromagnetic radiation

A

Electromagnetic radiation theorized as small packets of energy called photons

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30
Q

Relationship between frequency and energy of a photon

A

Frequency is directly proportional to photon energy

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31
Q

What is pair production

A

When a high energy photon converts into a particle-antiparticle pair

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31
Q

Relationship between wavelength and energy of a photon

A

Wavelength is inversely proportional to photon energy

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32
Q

Energy in pair production

A

Photon must have energy of at least combined rest energy of particle-antiparticle pair

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32
Q

What is annihilation

A

When a particle and its antiparticle collide, converting into a pair of photons

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32
Q

Energy in annihilation

A

Energy split evenly between photons. So each must have minimum energy of rest energy of particles

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32
Q

Momentum in annihilation

A

photon travel opposing directions to conserve momentum

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32
Q

What are the four fundamental interactions

A
  • Strong nuclear
  • Weak nuclear
  • Electromagnetic
  • Gravitational
32
Q

What is the exchange particle of the strong nuclear interaction

A

The gluon or the pion

32
Q

What is the exchange particle of the weak nuclear interaction

A

The boson. W⁺, W⁻, Z⁰

33
Q

What is the exchange particle of the electromagnetic interaction

A

The virtual photon

34
Q

What is the exchange particle of the gravitational interaction

A

The graviton

35
Q

What is the purpose of the exchange particle

A

To act as a transfer for conserved properties, to allow forces to act over distances

36
Q

Particles in strong nuclear interaction

A

Hadrons

37
Q

Particles in weak nuclear interaction

A

Hadron decay, Hadrons and leptons

38
Q

Particles in electromagnetic force

A

Charged particles

39
Q

Examples of the strong nuclear interaction

A

Force within the nucleus

40
Q

Examples of the week nuclear interaction

A

beta decay, electron capture, electron-proton collision

41
Q

What is electron capture?

A

a proton in the nucleus captures an orbiting electron, converting into a neutron and emitting a neutrino.

42
Q

What happens in an electron-proton collision?

A

An electron collides with a proton, producing a neutron and a neutrino.

43
Q

What is a Feynman diagram?

A

A diagram that shows the process of an interaction, with time on the y axis and distance on the x axis

44
Q

What are the 2 main classifications of particle

A

Hadrons and Leptons

45
Q

What defines a hadron

A

They are subject to the strong interaction and are made up of quarks

46
Q

What are the classes of hadrons

A

Baryons/Antibaryons and Mesons

47
Q

Composition of baryons or antibaryons

A

Three quarks or antiquarks

48
Q

Examples of baryons

A

Neutron, Proton, Sigma particle

49
Q

What is the only stable baryon

A

The proton

50
Q

What is baryon number

A

A quantum number that must be conserved

51
Q

Composition of mesons

A

A quark - antiquark pair

52
Q

Examples of mesons

A

Pion and Kaon

53
Q

What defines a lepton

A

Fundamental particles that aren’t subject to the strong nuclear force

54
Q

Examples of leptons

A

electron, muon, taon, neutrino

55
Q

What is lepton number

A

A quantum number that must be conserved

56
Q

What is the proton antiparticle

A

the antiproton

57
Q

What is the neutron antiparticle

A

the antineutron

58
Q

What is the electron antiparticle

A

the positron

59
Q

What is the muon antiparticle

A

the antimuon

60
Q

What is the neutrino antiparticle

A

the antineutrino

61
Q

The decay of a muon

A

Also called a heavy electron. decay into an electron

62
Q

What is a strange particle

A

A particle containing a strange particle

63
Q

How are strange particles produced

A

In pairs via the strong interaction

64
Q

How do strange particles decay

A

Via the weak interaction

65
Q

How is strangeness conserved

A

Conserved in the strong interaction only

66
Q

How does strangeness change in the weak interaction

A

Can change by +1, -1, 0

67
Q

What does particle physics rely on

A

A collaborative efforts of large teams of scientists and engineers to validate new knowledge

68
Q

What are the three required quarks

A

Up, Down and Strange

69
Q

Properties of the up quark

A

Charge: +2/3, Baryon number: +1/3, Strangeness: 0

70
Q

Properties of the down quark

A

Charge: -1/3, Baryon number: +1/3, Strangeness: 0

71
Q

Properties of the strange quark

A

Charge: -1/3, Baryon number: +1/3, Strangeness: -1

72
Q

Quark structure of a proton

A

uud

73
Q

Quark structure of a neutron

A

udd

74
Q

Quark structure of a Kaon⁺

A

us̄

75
Q

Quark structure of a Kaon⁻

A

ūs

76
Q

Quark structure of a Kaon⁰

A

d̄s or ds̄

77
Q

Quark structure of a Pion⁺

A

ud̄

78
Q

Quark structure of a Pion⁻

A

ūd

79
Q

Quark structure of a Pion⁰

A

uū or dd̄

80
Q

Beta⁻ decay in form of quark change

A

d –> u + e⁻ + ve

81
Q

Beta⁺ decay in form of quark change

A

u –> d + e⁺ + ν̄e

82
Q

What properties are conserved

A

Charge, Energy and Momentum, Baryon number, Lepton number, Strangeness

83
Q

Define threshold frequency

A

The minimum frequency required for emission of photoelectrons in the photoelectric effect

84
Q

The photon explanation of threshold
frequency

A

Photoelectrons require a certain energy to be released from a surface. Each incident photon interacts with one electron so must have above that required energy, resulting in a minimum frequency of the photon

85
Q

Define work function

A

The minimum energy required to remove an electron from a material

86
Q

Define stopping potential

A

The minimum negative potential difference required to stop the flow of photoelectrons
released from the surface of a metal

87
Q

Define ionisation

A

The process where an atom becomes an ion by removing or adding an electron

88
Q

Define excitation

A

The process when an electron gains a specific amount of energy that it rises energy levels

89
Q

Process in a fluorescent tube

A

Flow of electrons cause collisions and thus excitation of mercury atoms, raising their energy levels. When level return, they release UV radiation. UV excites fluorescent coating, releasing visible light when it returns to ground state.

90
Q

The electron volt

A

The energy gained by one electron when passing through a pd of one volt

91
Q

What are line spectra

A

emission and absorption spectra of gasses

92
Q

How do line spectra occur

A

from the absorption or emission of specific wavelengths in atoms due to discrete energy levels, causing lines corresponding to these levels

92
Q

theories due to electron diffraction

A

suggestion that particles possess wave properties

93
Q

theories due to the photoelectric effect

A

suggestion that electromagnetic waves
have a particulate nature

94
Q

What is the De Broglie wavelength

A

The apparent wavelength of a particle is inversely proportional to its momentum

95
Q

Why does less diffraction occur when the momentum of the particle is greater

A

A greater momentum results in a lower wavelength. lower wavelength is less equal to slit difference and thus less diffraction occurs

96
Q

How does knowledge and understanding of the nature of matter changes over time

A

Changes due to experimental evidence causes advances into knowledge and understanding

97
Q

How must changes be validated

A

Via peer review and over the scientific community

AQA A-Level Physics (9 decks)

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