AQA Alevel Particle Physics Flashcards

Created by

Raymond Kabangu

Cards (83)

What are isotopes?
Atoms with the same number of protons and different number of neutrons
What is a proton?
A subatomic particle that has a positive charge and that is found in the nucleus of an atom
What is the charge of a proton?
+1.60e-19 C (relative charge: +1)
What is the mass of a proton?
1.67e-27 kg (relative mass: 1)
What is a neutron?
A subatomic particle that has no charge and that is found in the nucleus of an atom
What is the charge of a neutron? 
0
What is the mass of a neutron?
1.67e-27 kg (relative mass: 1)
What is an electron?
A subatomic particle that has a negative charge and orbits the nucleus
What is the charge of an electron?
-1.60e-19 C (relative charge: -1)
What is the mass of an electron?
9.11e-31 kg (relative mass: 0.0005)
What is a positron? 
An antiparticle with +1 relative charge and -1 lepton number (an anti-electron). Also known as a beta plus particle/.
What is the Nucleon Number, A?
The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom. It is equal to the relative mass of the atom. Also known as the mass number.
What is specific charge?
The specific charge of a particle is its charge divided by its mass
What is the strong nuclear force?
the powerful attractive force that binds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus
What is the range of the strong nuclear force of attraction?
3-4 fm
Strong nuclear force is repulsive if particles are closer than
0.5 fm (approx)
What is electrostatic force?
Fundamental force that only affects charged particles
What is an alpha particle?
Helium nucleus (2 protons and 2 neutrons)
What is a beta particle?
High energy electron
What is gamma radiation?
electromagnetic radiation emitted by an unstable nucleus
What is a neutrino? 
An uncharged lepton with very low mass compared with the electron
What is a photon?
a packet (or quantum) of electromagnetic waves
Photon Energy equals
E = hf
What is antimatter?
Antiparticles that each have the same rest mass and, if charged, have equal and opposite charge to the corresponding particle.
What is annihilation? 
When a particle and its antiparticle meet, they destroy each other and become radiation.
What is pair production?
When a gamma photon changes into a particle and an antiparticle
Definition of an electron volt
One electron volt is the energy transferred when an electron is moved through a potential difference of 1 volt
What is a weak nuclear force?
the force responsible for beta decay
What is a W boson?
carrier of the weak nuclear force; W bosons have non-zero rest mass and may be positive or negative
What is electron capture?
process in which an inner-shell electron of an atom is captured by the nucleus
What is a quark?
Fundamental particle that forms baryons and mesons
What is a muon?
A lepton that is negatively charged and has a greater rest mass than the electron. It will decay into an electron
What is a pion? 
A meson that consists of an up or down quark and an up or down antiquark. It is the exchange particle for strong nuclear force.
What is a kaon?
a meson that consists of a strange quark or antiquark and another quark or antiquark. It can decay into pions
What are hadrons?
particles and antiparticles that can interact through the strong interaction (e.g. protons, neutrons, pi mesons, K mesons)
What is a baryon?
A hadron consisting of three quarks or three antiquarks
What are leptons?
Particles and antiparticles that do not interact through the strong interaction (e.g. electrons, muons, neutrinos)
What is a meson?
A hadron consisting of a quark and an antiquark
What do mesons decay into?
Photons and leptons by the weak nuclear force
What is a strange particle?
Contains strange quarks
Created through strong interaction and decay through weak interaction
Created in pairs (particle + antiparticle) to conserve strangeness