Atomic Structure and Nuclear Radiation Flashcards
What is the atomic mass
number of protons + number of neutrons
How do you determine the element
By the number of protons in an atom
Why is an atom neutral
It has the same number of protons as electrons
What happens if an atom gains electrons
Becomes a negatively charged ion
What happens if an atom loses electrons
Becomes a positively charged ion
What is an isotope
An atom of the same element with different number of neutrons
What is a fundamental particle
A particle which is not known to be made up of any other particle
Examples of fundamental particles include:
Electrons
Quarks
Neutrinos
Relative charge of an up quark
+2/3
Relative charge of an up quark
-1/3
Quark composition of a proton:
UUD (+2/3, +2/3, -1/3 = +1)
Quark composition of a neutron:
UDD (+2/3, -1/3,-1/3 =0)
What is matter
A word used to describe anything with a mass in the universe
What is antimatter
Matter with the same mass, but with the opposite charge to which it has normally
What happens when matter and anti-matter collide
All of the mass is converted into energy which is given out in the form of gamma rays. This is called anihilation
Why is momentum conserved
As the gamma rays are emitted in opposite directions
For an object in steady circular motion:
The speed is constant
The velocity is changing because the direction of motion is changing
The change in direction of motion is caused by the centripetal force
What does the centripetal force do
Acts towards the centre of the circle (or part of the circle) preventing the object continuing in a straight line
Particle accelerators can do many things, such as:
Collide particles to break them into smaller ones
Add or remove nucleons from atoms nucleus to make it unstable and radioactive
Collide matter and antimatter so they annihilate
What causes the inwards centripetal force
A magnetic field
Some particle accelerators are…
Circular
What does the circular path allow
The particle to be accelerated faster and faster on each cycle
The faster the particle the more…
kinetic energy it will have
