7B.2 Particle detectors

Question 1

how are particles detected in electron diffraction and Geiger and Marsden’s alpha scattering experiment

Answer 1

by the light that is observed when the particles hit the fluorescent screen

Question 2

how does the GM work

Answer 2

the particle to be detected enters the tube and ionizes a gas (usually argon) that filled in the tube producing ions and electrons, then the ins and the electrons becomes accelerated by the electric field between electrodes in the tube and then they get discharged when the reach the electrodes, that forms a pulse of electricity that is counted by GM counter

Question 3

how do most particle detectors work

Answer 3

through ionization

Question 4

what is the bubble chamber

Answer 4

it is a particle detection system where the particles cause bubbles to form in a superheated liquid, usually hydrogen

Question 5

the trail of bubbles in the bubble chamber shows

Answer 5

the path of the particles moving

Question 6

what can we tell from the bubble chamber

Answer 6

1. the path of the particles moving
2. the curved paths of the particles being affected by the magnetic field, the direction they curve in and the radius of the curvature tells us there charge and mass
3. particle interactions, where some tracks end or change quickly, and some tracks appear out of nowhere, usually started from uncharged particles colliding to form charged ones

Question 7

when particles spiral when they interact with other particles what happens to there kinetic energy and why do they spiral inward

Answer 7

their kinetic energy is being lost by ionizing particles in its path , s since the radius if the curvature is proportional to the speed r = mv/Bq deceleration of it will cause it to spiral inward