Particles And Radiation Flashcards
What is Alpha Decay?
The process of an unstable nucleus emitting an alpha particle (2 protons, 2 neutrons) to become more stable.
What is Annihilation?
The process of a particle and its antiparticle colliding and being converted into energy. The energy is released in two photons to conserve momentum.
What is an Antiparticle?
All particles have a corresponding antiparticle with the same mass but opposite charge and conservation numbers.
What is a Baryon Number?
A quantum number that is conserved in all particle interactions. Baryons have a baryon number of +1 and non-baryons have a baryon number of 0.
What is a Baryon?
A class of hadron, that is made up of three quarks. The proton is the only stable baryon.
What is Beta- Decay?
The process of a neutron inside a nucleus turning into a proton and emitting a Beta- particle (an electron) and an antineutrino.
What is Beta+ Decay?
The process of a proton inside a nucleus turning into a neutron, and emitting a Beta+ particle (a positron) and a neutrino.
What is Electron Diffraction?
The spreading of electrons as they pass through a gap similar to the magnitude of their de Broglie wavelength. It is evidence of the wave-like properties of particles.
What is an Electron-Volt?
The work done to accelerate an electron through a potential difference of 1V. 1eV is equal to the charge of an electron.
What are Energy Levels?
Defined and district energies at which electrons can exist in an atom. An electron cannot exist between energy levels.
What is Excitation?
The process of an electron taking in exactly the right quantity of energy to move to a higher energy level.
What is a Gauge Boson?
The exchange particles that transmit the four fundamental interactions between particles.
What is the Ground State?
The most stable energy level that an electron can exist in.
What are Hadrons?
A class of subatomic particles that experiences the strong nuclear interaction.
What is Ionisation?
The process of an atom losing an orbital electron and becoming charge.
What is an Isotope?
Same number of protons but different number of neutrons.
What is Isotopic Data?
Data from isotopes that can be used for a purpose, such as carbon dating.
What is a Kaon?
A type of meson that decays into pions.
What is a Lepton Number?
A quantum number that is conserved in all particle interactions. Both electron lepton numbers and muon lepton numbers must be conserved.
What is a Lepton?
A group of elementary subatomic particles, consisting of electrons, muons and neutrinos.
What is a Meson?
A class of hadron that is made up of a quark and an antiquark pair.
What is a Muon?
A type of lepton that decays into electrons.
What is a Neutrino?
A subatomic particle whose existence was hypothesised to maintain the conservation of energy in Beta decay.
What is a Nucleon Number? (A)
The sum of the number if protons and neutrons in a given nucleus.
