6) Conservation Laws

Question 1

Describe the change that occurs to the quark structure during beta minus decay.

Answer 1

-A down (d) quark changes to an up (u) quark.

Question 2

Describe the change that occurs to the quark structure during beta plus decay.

Answer 2

-An up (u) quark changes to a down (d) quark.

Question 3

What happens during beta minus decay?

Answer 3

-When a neutron decays, it forms a proton, electron and an antineutrino.

Question 4

What happens during beta plus decay?

Answer 4

-When a proton decays, it forms a neutron, positron and a neutrino.

Question 5

Explain why mass is not necessarily conserved when particles interact or decay.

Answer 5

-Because mass can be converted to energy and vice versa.

Question 6

Name three conservation laws that are obeyed in all nuclear interactions.

Answer 6

• Charge.
• Baryon number.
• Lepton number.

Question 7

What is the quark change in beta + decay?

Answer 7

• proton changes to a neutron.

- u quark changes to a d quark.

Question 8

What is the quark change in beta - decay?

Answer 8

• neutron changes to a proton.

- therefore, d quark changes to a u quark.