3.2 - DEFINITIONS Flashcards
Annihilation?
the process of a particle and its antiparticle colliding, converting mass into energy. The energy is released in two photons to conserve momentum.
Baryon?
a class of hadron that is made up of three quarks.
Electron diffraction?
The spreading of electrons as they pass through a gap similar to the magnitude of their De Broglie wavelength
Electron volt?
The work done to accelerate an electron through a potential difference of 1V
Excitation?
The process of an electron taking in exactly the right quantity of energy to move to a higher energy level.
Ground state?
The most stable energy level that an electron can exist in
Hadrons?
a class of subatomic particles that experiences the strong nuclear force; made up of mesons and baryons
Ionisation?
The process of an atom losing an orbital electron and becoming charged
Leptons?
a group of elementary subatomic particles, consisting of electrons, muons, and neutrinos
Meson?
a class of hadron that is made up of a quark and antiquark pair
Pair production?
the process of a sufficiently high-energy photon converting into a particle and its corresponding antiparticle; happens by converting energy into mass
Stopping potential?
the minimum potential difference required to stop the highest kinetic energy electrons from leaving the metal plate in the photoelectric effect
Threshold frequency?
the minimum frequency required for photoelectrons to be emitted from the surface of a metal plate through the photoelectric effect.
Work function?
The minimum energy required to remove an electron from a metal’s surface
