Matter and radiation Flashcards
Nucleon
A neutron or proton in the nucleus
Atomic number (Z)
The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
Isotopes
Atoms of an element with the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons
Nucleon/mass number (A)
The number of neutrons and protons in a nucleus
Nuclide
A type of nucleus with a particular number of protons and neutrons
Specific charge
Charge/mass value of a charged particle
Strong nuclear force
Attractive force between nucleons that holds the nucleons in the nucleus
Alpha radiation
Particles that each consist of two protons and two neutrons
Beta radiation
ß- particles are fast moving electrons emitted by unstable neutron-rich nuclei; ß+ particles are fast moving positrons emitted by unstable proton-rich nuclei
Antineutrino
The antiparticle of a neutrino
Gamma radiation
High-energy photons emitted by unstable nuclei
Neutrino
Uncharged lepton with a very low rest mass compared with the electron
Photon
Packet or ‘quantum’ of electromagnetic waves
Photoelectricity
Emission of electrons from a metal surface with the surface when the surface is illuminated by light of frequency greater than a minimum value known as the threshold frequency
Positron
Antiparticle of the electron
Annihilation
When a particle and its antiparticle meet, they destroy each other and become radiation
Rest energy
Energy due to rest mass m, equal to mc^2, where c is the speed of light in a vacuum
Antiparticles
There is an antiparticle for every type of particle. A particle and its corresponding antiparticle have equal rest mass and, if charged, equal and opposite charge
Pair production
When a gamma photon changes into a particle and an antiparticle
Momentum
Mass x velocity
Virtual photons
Carrier of electromagnetic force; a photon exchanged between two charged particles when the interact
Feynman diagram
Representation of the interaction between two particles or antiparticles or the decay of a particle or antiparticle
Weak nuclear force
Force responsible for beta decay
W boson
Carrier of the weak nuclear force; W bosons have non-zero rest mass and may be positive or negative
Electron capture
Process in which an inner-shell electron of an atom is captured by the nucleus
Laser
Device that produces a parallel coherent beam of monochromatic light
