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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 relative units

A

+1

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3
Q

Charge of an electron in relative units

A

-1

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4
Q

Charge of a neutron in relative units

A

0

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5
Q

Mass of an electron in relative units

A

1/1836

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6
Q

Mass of a proton in relative units

A

1

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7
Q

Mass of a neutron in relative units

A

1

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8
Q

Definition of specific charge

A

Charge-to-mass ratio

specific charge = Charge/Mass

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9
Q

What is the nuclide notation

A

A
X
Z

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10
Q

What does A stand for in nuclide notation

A

Nucleon number

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11
Q

What does Z stand for in nuclide notation

A

Proton number

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12
Q

Define Isotope

A

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

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13
Q

Use of isotopes

A

Carbon 14: Carbon dating of organic matter

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14
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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15
Q

What is the use of the strong nuclear force

A

Keeping the nucleus stable

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16
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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17
Q

Why can some nuclei be unstable

A

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

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18
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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19
Q

General equation for alpha decay

A

A A-4 4
X —–> Y + α
Z A-2 2

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20
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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21
Q

General equation for beta decay

A

n/p —-> p/n + e⁻/e⁺ + ̅νₑ/νₑ

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22
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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22
Q

Define rest energy

A

The energy equivalent to a stationary particles mass

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22
Q

What is pair production

A

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

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22
Q

What is an antiparticle

A

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

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22
Q

What is the antiparticle of an electron

A

Positron

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22
Q

What is the antiparticle of a proton

A

antiproton

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22
Q

What is the antiparticle of a neutron

A

antineutron

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22
Q

What is the antiparticle of a neutrino

A

antineutrino

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22
Q

What is the photon model of electromagnetic radiation

A

Electromagnetic radiation theorized as small packets of energy called photons

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22
Q

Relationship between frequency and energy of a photon

A

Frequency is directly proportional to photon energy

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22
Q

Relationship between wavelength and energy of a photon

A

Wavelength is inversely proportional to photon energy

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23
Q

Energy in pair production

A

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

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23
Q

What is annihilation

A

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

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23
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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23
Q

Momentum in annihilation

A

photon travel opposing directions to conserve momentum

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23
Q

What are the four fundamental interactions

A
  • Strong nuclear
  • Weak nuclear
  • Electromagnetic
  • Gravitational
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23
Q

What is the exchange particle of the strong nuclear interaction

A

The gluon or the pion

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23
Q

What is the exchange particle of the weak nuclear interaction

A

The boson. W⁺, W⁻, Z⁰

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24
Q

What is the exchange particle of the electromagnetic interaction

A

The virtual photon

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25
Q

What is the exchange particle of the gravitational interaction

A

The graviton

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26
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

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27
Q

Particles in strong nuclear interaction

28
Q

Particles in weak nuclear interaction

A

Hadron decay, Hadrons and leptons

29
Q

Particles in electromagnetic force

A

Charged particles

30
Q

Examples of the strong nuclear interaction

A

Force within the nucleus, pion production, alpha decay

31
Q

Examples of the weak nuclear interaction

A

beta decay, electron capture, electron-proton collision

32
Q

What is electron capture?

A

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

33
Q

What happens in an electron-proton collision?

A

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

34
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

35
Q

What are the 2 main classifications of particle

A

Hadrons and Leptons

36
Q

What defines a hadron

A

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

37
Q

What are the classes of hadrons

A

Baryons and Mesons

38
Q

Composition of baryons or antibaryons

A

Three quarks or antiquarks

39
Q

Examples of baryons

A

Neutron, Proton, Sigma particle

40
Q

What is the only stable baryon

A

The proton

41
Q

What is baryon number

A

A quantum number that must be conserved

42
Q

Composition of mesons

A

A quark - antiquark pair

43
Q

Examples of mesons

A

Pion and Kaon

44
Q

What defines a lepton

A

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

45
Q

Examples of leptons

A

electron, muon, taon, neutrino

46
Q

What is lepton number

A

A quantum number that must be conserved

47
Q

What is the proton antiparticle

A

the antiproton

48
Q

What is the neutron antiparticle

A

the antineutron

49
Q

What is the electron antiparticle

A

the positron

50
Q

What is the muon antiparticle

A

the antimuon

51
Q

What is the neutrino antiparticle

A

the antineutrino

52
Q

The decay of a muon

A

Also called a heavy electron. decay into an electron

53
Q

What is a strange particle

A

A particle containing a strange particle

54
Q

How are strange particles produced

A

In pairs via the strong interaction

55
Q

How do strange particles decay

A

Via the weak interaction

56
Q

How is strangeness conserved

A

Conserved in the strong interaction only

57
Q

How does strangeness change in the weak interaction

A

Can change by +1, -1, 0

58
Q

What does particle physics rely on

A

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

59
Q

What are the three required quarks

A

Up, Down and Strange

60
Q

Properties of the up quark

A

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

61
Q

Properties of the down quark

A

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

62
Q

Properties of the strange quark

A

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

63
Q

Quark structure of a proton

64
Q

Quark structure of a neutron

65
Q

Quark structure of a Kaon⁺

66
Q

Quark structure of a Kaon⁻

67
Q

Quark structure of a Kaon⁰

A

d̄s or ds̄

68
Q

Quark structure of a Pion⁺

69
Q

Quark structure of a Pion⁻

70
Q

Quark structure of a Pion⁰

A

uū or dd̄

71
Q

Beta⁻ decay in form of quark change

A

d –> u + e⁻ + ve

72
Q

Beta⁺ decay in form of quark change

A

u –> d + e⁺ + ν̄e

73
Q

What properties are conserved

A

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

74
Q

Define threshold frequency

A

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

75
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

76
Q

Define work function

A

The minimum energy required to remove an electron from a material

77
Q

Define stopping potential

A

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

78
Q

Define ionisation

A

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

79
Q

Define excitation

A

When an electron gains a specific amount of energy that it rises energy levels

80
Q

Process in a fluorescent tube

A

A flow of electrons cause collisions, and thus excitation of mercury atoms, raising eelectrons up energy levels. When they de-exite, they release UV radiation. UV excites a fluorescent coating, releasing visible light when returning to ground state.

81
Q

The electron volt

A

The energy equal to the work done on one electron when accelerating it through a pd of one volt

82
Q

What are line spectra

A

emission and absorption spectra of gasses

83
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

83
Q

theories due to electron diffraction

A

suggestion that particles possess wave properties

84
Q

theories due to the photoelectric effect

A

suggestion that electromagnetic waves
have a particulate nature

85
Q

What is the De Broglie wavelength

A

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

86
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

87
Q

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

A

Changes due to experimental evidence cause advances

88
Q

How must changes be validated

A

Via peer review and over the scientific community

AQA A-Level Physics (12 decks)

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