P3.4 Motion Of Particles Flashcards
What is a cyclotron?
A particle accelerator that uses two hollow semicircular electrodes to accelerate particles across a gap.
Why does a charged particle in a magnetic field travel along a curved track?
The magnetic field acts on it perpendicular to its travel direction
What is centripetal force?
A resultant force that acts towards the centre of the circle in a charged particle in a magnetic field.
What is proton enrichment?
Firing high energy protons at an element using a cyclotron to create a new element.
Why do we use proton enrichment?
To create radioactive isotopes for use in hospitals.
How are particle accelerators used to help scientists find out about the universe?
They use them to fire high energy beams of protons at each other to try to recreate conditions straight after the big bang.
What happens to momentum and kinetic energy during a collision.
Momentum is always conserved as long as there are no external forces acting on the collision
Kinetic energy is only conserved in an elastic collision.
What is an elastic collision?
A collision in which KE and momentum are conserved.
What is an inelastic collision?
A collision in which momentum is conserved and some KE is lost (eg as heat or sound).
What is the formula for mass energy equivalence?
E=mc2
What does E=mc2 say?
That mass can be conserved as energy during a collision eg in annihilation.
What medical application does annihilation have?
PET scanning
