Atomic, nuclear and particle physics

Question 1

What is discrete energy?

Answer 1

Atoms can only have discrete amounts of energy. The KE of the electrons and the potential energy of the electrons and nucleus can only take specific values.

Question 2

Where does the emission spectrum come from?

Answer 2

When energy is supplied to an atom, electrons may move from the ground state (n=1) to an excited state (n=2,3,4) by absorbing exactly the right amount of energy to move to that level.

Question 3

What is the emission spectrum?

Answer 3

• The set of possible wavelengths of light that can be emitted when electrons deexcite, as the result of discrete energy levels.
  Can be used to identify different elements.

Question 4

How do the energy levels in an atom work?

Answer 4

• They have negative values.
• The gaps between levels decrease as n increases
• Often measured in electron volts eV

Question 5

How do electrons transition between energy levels?

How can you quantify the transition?

Answer 5

Electrons naturally transition towards the ground state. When transitioning to a lower energy state, electrons emit a photon. The photon energy is given by ΔE between energy levels, or
E = hf or E = hc/ λ
(J) (Planck’s constant) (Hz)

Question 6

What is the absorption spectrum?

Answer 6

When white light is shone on a gas, electrons absorb photons with the right amount of energy for them to excite. Photons are emitted in all directions as the deexcite, resulting in very faint bars on the spectrum.

Question 7

What is the notation for the proton, nucleon, and neutron numbers?

Answer 7

Z = the proton number
A = the atomic number
∴ N = A - Z

Question 8

What is the notation for protons, neutrons, electrons, photons, and neutrinos?

Answer 8

Mass above charge:
1 1 p
1 0 n
0 -1 e
0 0 γ
0 0 v

Question 9

What is an isotope?

Answer 9

It is an atom with the same proton number, but different neutron numbers and thus different mass and physical properties.

Question 10

What is radioactive decay?

Answer 10

When an unstable nucleus randomly (unpredictable) and spontaneously (not affected by anything else) emits particles that carry energy away from the nucleus.

Question 11

What is alpha decay? What is the notation?

Answer 11

It is a pair of neutrons and a pair of protons. It is heavy, positively charged, and has low penetrating power.
(Mass over charge:)
4 2 α

Question 12

What is beta - decay? What does an equation look like?

Answer 12

A neutron in the nucleus turns into a proton and emits an electron and an electron anti neutrino.
(Mass over charge:)
(A Z)X => (A Z+1) Y + (0 -1) e + ̅νe

Question 13

What is beta + decay? What does an equation look like?

Answer 13

A proton in the nucleus turns into a neutron and emits a positron and an electron neutrino.
(A Z)X => (A Z-1) Y + (0 +1) e + νe

Question 14

What is Gamma decay, and how do you work out the wavelength of the gramma ray?

Answer 14

When the nucleus emits a photon with high frequency (gamma ray). It has no charge.
E = hc/ λ

Question 15

How can you work out the rate of radioactive decay?

REDO check formula in two places

Answer 15

ΔN /Δt ∝ N

Rate ∝ number of nuclei that have not yet decayed.

Question 16

What is a decay series?

Answer 16

A diagram showing the different decays that take place as a nucleus stabilises.

Question 17

What is half life? What are the units for radioactivity

REDO

Answer 17

The time taken for the activity of a radioactivity of a sample (Bq - decays per second) to decrease by half.

Question 18

What is the electromagnetic force?

Answer 18

A force that acts on any particle that has charge. It has infinite range, and

Question 19

How can you work out the probability of radioactive decay?

Answer 19

Draw a tree diagram - the probability of a particular nucleus decaying within a half life is 0.5.

Question 20

What are the four fundamental interactions, the particles they act on, and the range?

Answer 20

Electromagnetic/particles with charge/infinite range
Weak nuclear/protons, neutrons, electrons, neutrinos to create beta decay/short range (10⁻¹⁸ m)
Strong nuclear/protons and neutrons - holds together the nucleus/Short range (10⁻¹⁵m)
Gravitational/between all masses/infinite range

Question 21

What is the atomic mass unit?

Answer 21

1/12 the mass of an atom of carbon 12

1u = 1.661 x 10⁻²⁷ kg

Question 22

How is mass equated to energy?

Answer 22

E = mc²

Question 23

What is the mass defect?

Answer 23

The mass of individual nucleons is larger than the mass of the nucleus. The difference is the mass defect.
δ = total mass of nucleons - mass of nucleus
δ = Zmp + (A-Z)mn - mnucleus

Question 24

What is binding energy?

Answer 24

The work required to separate a nucleus into it’s constitute parts.
binding energy = δc²

Question 25

What is the binding energy per nucleon?

Answer 25

The work required to remove one nucleon from the nucleus roughly = binding energy/nucleon number
The higher the binding energy/nucleon, the more stable the nucleus.

Question 26

missing

Answer 26

electron volts measurement, conversion to mass

Question 27

How can you easily convert energy to mass in atomic mass units?

Answer 27

Use u = 931.5 MeVc⁻² (=1.661 x 10⁻²⁷) data book

Question 28

What is the binding energy curve?

What are the features?

Answer 28

It is a curve showing the binding energy per nucleon (y) against the nucleon number of different elements (x).

• The curve rises sharply for low nucleon no.
• The maximum point is the most stable position, at nucleon no. = 62 - nickel.
• There are some atoms that fall outside the curve.
• The curve drops away after nickel.

Question 29

How can you work out if energy is released in a decay or other reaction?

Answer 29

Work out Δm = total mass of reactants - total mass of products.
If Δm > 0 energy is released, and decay occurs
If Δm < 0 energy must be supplied for the decay to occur.

Question 30

What is the process of nuclear fission?
What is a chain reaction?
What does it look like on the binding energy curve?

Answer 30

• When a heavy nucleus splits into two lighter nuclei and releases some neutrons. Usually happens when the nucleus is hit by a neutron.
• If the neutrons released hit other nuclei to produce more fission it is called a chain reaction
• atoms move to the left

Question 31

What is nuclear fission?

What does it look like on the binding energy curve?

Answer 31

• When two light nuclei join into a heavier one and energy is released.
• atoms move to the right

Question 32

What happened yin the Rutherford experiment?

Answer 32

Alpha particles were directed at gold foil in a vacuum chamber.
The majority of α particles went straight through or had small deflections.
Very occasionally, α particles were reflected backwards.

Question 33

What were the conclusions of the Rutherford experiment and why?
Check off notes

Answer 33

• In the Plum-pudding model of the atom, the positive charge could produce a force large enough to deflect α particles at small but not large angles.
• Rutherford concluded that the positive charge of the atom must be concentrated in the centre of the atom. IOW a nucleus.
  A direct hit - large deflection
  Close to nucleus - small deflection

Question 34

What is an elementary particle?

Answer 34

A particle that is not made up of smaller component particles.

Question 35

What are quarks?

Answer 35

There are six different flavours:

Up, down, top, bottom, strange, charm.

Question 36

What are the names of the different combinations of quarks?

Answer 36

• Hadrons are particles made of quarks.
• Three quarks is a baryon.
  Eg. proton (uud), neutron (udd)
• A quark and an anti-quark is a meson
  Eg. Pion