Particles Flashcards
What is protium?
A hydrogen atom with 1 proton and zero neutrons.
99.98% of hydrogen atoms are protium.
Used in hydrogen fuel cells
What is Deuterium?
A hydrogen atom with 1 proton and 1 neutron.
Around 0.02% of hydrogen atoms are deuterium.
Used in nuclear fission
What is tritium?
A hydrogen atom with 1 proton and 2 neutrons.
Used in thermonuclear fusion weapon
What is an Nuclide?
Is a specific nucleus and that contains a certain number of protons and neutrons.
What is Carbon -14
An isotope of carbon.
All living organisms have the same amount of carbon-14 atoms as percentage of all carbon isotopes.
Once the organism dies, it no longer absorbs carbon from the atmosphere.
Carbon-14 is radioactive and so will decay over a known half-life.
What happens to a nucleus without a strong nuclear force?
It would break apart because of the electrostatic repulsion between the protons.
Is the strong nuclear force only significant over short or long distances?
Short distances.
Are strong nuclear forces repulsive at very small distances?
Yes
Where does alpha decay happen?
In very large nuclei.
What is an alpha particle made up of?
Two neutrons and two protons
When does beta-minus decay happen?
When nuclei have too many neutrons
What happens to a neutron during beta - minus decay?
The neutron will turn into a proton, releasing a beta particle (an electron) and an antineutrino.
Define the word collapsing?
Collapsing is when the strong nuclear force must be repulsive at short distances to prevent the nucleus collapsing.
Define the word separating?
The strong nuclear force must be attractive to counteract the electrostatic repulsion
What is the antiparticle of the proton?
Antiproton (symbol p with a line over it)
What is the antiparticle of the electron?
Positron
What is the antiparticle of the neutron?
Antineutron
What is the antiparticle of the neutrino?
Antineutrino
True or false. Does an antiparticle share the same mass and rest energy as its counterpart?
True
What is the formula to calculate Photon Energy?
Planck constant x frequency
What is Planck’s Constant?
It’s a fundamental constant of nature and is equal to 6.63 x 10 ^-34
What photon has the highest frequency?
Gamma
What photon has the lowest frequency?
Radio
What is Annihilation?
When a particle and it’s corresponding antiparticle collide.
What happens during Annihilation?
Their masses are converted into pure energy.
The energy is carried away by the gamma photon must equal the total energy of the particles to begin with. (kinetic energy + rest mass)
What is Pair Production?
The opposite of Annihilation and when one high energy photon spontaneously turns into a particle- antiparticle pair.
What is produced after annihilation?
A pair of gamma photons
What are the four fundamental forces?
Strong nuclear force
Weak nuclear force
Gravity
Electromagnetic force
Which of the fundamental forces is the strongest?
Strong nuclear force
Which of the fundamental forces is the weakest?
Gravity
What is the only thing experienced by the strong nuclear force?
Hadrons
Describe the strong nuclear force?
Can only be felt from a short - range ( a few femtometre)
It’s attractive for separations above 0.5fm but strongly repulsive for separations less than about 0.5fm
What is the exchange particle for the strong nuclear force?
The gluon
What is the virtual photon?
It’s the exchange particle of the electromagnetic force
What is the exchange particle for the weak nuclear force?
W+, W- and Z0 bosons
