Physics Module 8 Flashcards
Hubble’s Law Gradient
steeper the gradient, younger universe
What is the age of the universe
1/Hubble’s Constant
How did Hubble create the constant
Using work of other scientists, he graphed recessional velocity (Vesto Slipher) on Y axis, and distance (Henrietta Leavitt) on the X axis.
What did the Hubble Constant provide evidence for?
An expanding universe
2 opposing theories
Big Bang (matter dilutes as the universe expands)
Steady-State (matter is constantly created as the universe expands)
What are stars made of?
Hydrogen
- protons moving so fast because of how hot they are
- when they fuse they release energy
VERY hot temp in core pushes stars outwards
- this is known as radiation pressure (OUT)
Due to the mass of the star
- gravitational pressure (IN)
These two are normally balanced but when they aren’t
- red giant expands as radiation increases
- white dwarf collapses as gravitation increases
Luminosity and Brightness
Luminosity is the total energy emitted by a star per second (POWER) - affected by size and temperature
Brightness is the energy received per squared metre on earth (INTENSITY) - affected with distance, also known as radiation flux
Why was apparent magnitude based on brightness not fair?
As distance impacts brightness - may actually be more luminous just a long way away
Stellar Classification System
Oh Be A Fine Girl Kiss Me
O - hottest (blue)
white
yellow
orange
M - coldest (red)
Hertzsprung Russel Diagram
Surface Temp (X) against Luminosity (Y)
Main sequence stars along the middle diagonal
Red giants top right
White dwarves bottom left
OBAFGKM long bottom
Stellar Evolution
(determined by mass)
Molecular Cloud > protostar > main sequence > red giant
red giant > planetary nebula > white dwarf
red giant > supernova > neutron star or black hole
What can you estimate about a star
You can estimate a star’s age based on where it is in the evolutionary path
What is nucleosynthesis?
The formation of hydrogen and helium from quarks after the Big Bang
Conditions for Stellar Nucleosynthesis to occur?
- high temperature (around 10/15 million K) due to high potential energy turning into high kinetic energy
- high density (lots of particles in a relatively small space)
Proton-Proton chain
(fusing hydrogen to helium)
Stars with the same or smaller mass then our sun will produce energy by fusing protons to obtain Helium nuclei in the chain reaction
total process releases about 20MeV
mainly used for main sequence
- 2 protons fuse to produce a diproton
- the diproton in unstable and decays to deuterium by beta decay (2/2He > 2/1He + e(+) + V(E)
- The deuterium nuclide undergoes fusion to Helium-3 by incorporating another proton (energy is released here as a gamma ray)
(2/1 H + 1/1H > 3/2He + gamma) - 2 helium-3 nuclides undergo fusion to Helium-4, which is stable and 2 protons are released back to the star.
Carbon-Nitrogen Cycle
(used in bigger stars)
top half of main sequence
PP Chain and CNO Cycle
similarities
- both produce helium from 4 hydrogens
- 2 positrons + 2 neutrons produced
- similar energy produced
- some fuel source (hydrogen)
differences
- CNO relies of C-12 as a catalyst
- 1 extra gamma ray produced in CNO
- CNO in larger stars only
Triple Alpha Process
Will occur in red giants that have left the main sequence
why is gravity important in fusion reactions inside the sun
Fusion reactions require high temperatures
- particles must be moving at high speeds (H, He)
- Gravitational forces are responsible for the inwards pressure that causes a protostar to shrink
- As it shrinks, GPE is converted to KE, until T is high enough
Who discovered the electron
JJ Thomson
(big shift in understanding of matter)
He proposed the plum pudding model - electrons were distributed throughout the atom, with their charge balanced by the presence of a uniform sea of positive charge.
How did JJ Thomson discover the electron
Cathode Rays
- Applied a potential difference to a pair of electrodes placed inside a glass vacuum tube.
- At low pressure/high voltage, a stream of energy flowed (neg to pos).
- The same cathode ray was emitted from different metal cathodes, therefore, ray was common to all substances.
Thomson believed they were particles
Debate for cathode rays
Waves
- Rays pass through thin metal sheets without interacting
- Rays are not deflected by electric fields
Particles
- Maltese Cross (rays cast sharp shadows - no diffraction), meaning they travel in straight lines and can be blocked by metal
- Rays are deflected by magnetic fields
- Rays have momentum (caused paddlewheel to move)
What did Hertz observe with cathode rays
No deflection of the cathode ray when it passed through an external electric field
- the two fields cancelled each other out and the ray went straight
How did JJ Thomson calculate
- used electric field (electron field turned on, electrons deviated up) E = V/d could calc E
- B turned on, the electron beam re-centred (no deviation) FE = FB
Eq = qVB
V = E/B velocity could be determined - Electric field turned off and deviation of the beam was measured (deviated down in circle)
FB = FC
qvB = mv²
q/m = v/Br
(could calc charge to mass ratio)
Conclusion from JJ Thomson Experiment
Charge to mass ratio was the same for all metals, therefore, cathode rays were common to all types of metals.
This was one piece of evidence that led him to believe that electrons were subatomic particles.
What did Millikan’s Oil Drop Experiment Do
indirectly calculated the charge of the electron
- sprayed small droplets of oil into an electric field between two parallel plates (each had a different mass when they left the atomiser)
- lost electrons when they came out of atomiser but became negatively charged at the plates
- measured under microscope to find the radius of the droplets
- then used the volume formula (V = 4/3pir³)
- then used mass = density x volume
- then calculated E = v/d
- then calculate q
How did Millikan indirectly calculate it
He measured the ‘gaps’ - not a direct measurement. He could see the increments of how many electrons were on the drop
Found that the charge was in discrete packets - all multiples of one value
he found the value to be very close to the known value of an electron
Rutherford Model
Geiger and Marsden experiment under direction of Rutherford
- gold foil with alpha particles
- atom was mostly empty space with positive nucleus
when alpha particle got close enough to nucleus, it deflected away.
- showed the atom had a heavy nucleus, surrounded by empty space and then electrons
- showed mostly empty space (had to wait a long time for deflection)
(alpha positive, nucleus positive, the closer to the nucleus the more deflection)
Chadwick
Discovered the neutron (alpha at paraffin wax)
When alpha particles strike beryllium, an invisible, neutral radiation is released.
Rutherford proposed this neutral radiation was a subatomic particle (neutron)
BUT being neutral, it was difficult to measure.
-> SO Chadwick fired them at a block of paraffin wax and protons were released.
He investigated the speed of the protons and used the laws of conservation of momentum and energy to determine the properties of the incident radiation.
He discovered the neutral radiation was made up of particles with an almost identical mass to the proton but with no charge… NEUTRON
Rutherford VS Thomson models
similarities
- both included electrons and had some form of positive charge
differences
- thomson’s model had positively charge distributed uniformly, whereas Rutherfords model had a small central positive nucleus with surrounding empty space
Why was it so hard to discover the neutron
- no charge, therefore they don’t deflect in uniform magnetic fields.
- electrons and protons were observed via magnetic fields
Bohr’s Postulates
- Electrons orbit the nucleus in clearly defined energy states called orbitals or shells.
- Any transition between energy states involves the absorption or emission or a discrete amount of energy (E=hf)
- The angular momentum of electrons in each orbital is quantised
Who is Bohr
Bohr revised Rutherford’s model by suggesting that electrons were confined into clearly defined orbits, and could jump between these, but could not freely spiral inward or outward in intermediate states.
- an electron must absorb or emit specific amounts of energy in order to transition between these fixed orbits
Emission of a photon
When an electron goes from an excited state to a ground state, a photon is emitted (up to bottom)
Electric Potential Energy
The electron when it is at the upper level (most excited state) has the most electric potential energy
When the electron is on the lower level, it has the least electric potential energy
This transition has to be done in one jump, cannot be done in stages.
What happens to this potential energy
It is given out as a photon
(energy jump corresponds to a specific frequency or wavelength)
THIS OUTLINES THE EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF ATOMIC ENERGY LEVELS