Chapter 17 Flashcards
The two conflicting theories of the structure of the atom
- The Plum Pudding model: Thomson suggested that the atom was a positively charged sphere with electrons spread out evenly across the atom to account for its neutral charge, this suggest the atom has an low density.
- Rutherford: He disproved this by firing alpha particles (positively charged) passed a sheet of gold atoms, they expected the particles to pass straight through, however they bounced off from all different angles (but some passed straight through), suggesting there is a dense positive charge in the centre of the atom and electrons spread around the nucleus.
What would’ve happened if they had’ve used aluminium instead of gold? (rutherford experiment)
gold atomic number (79) and aluminium (13), therefore aluminium has a nucleus almost six times smaller so the majority of alpha would’ve passed straight through as there is less chance of collision.
Rutherford’s model of the atom (key points)
- Most of the fast charged particles went straight through, therefore the atom is mostly empty space.
- Some of the alpha particles are deflected back through large angles, so the nucleus must be smaller but high density.
- Alpha was repelled by nucleus so must have a positive charge.
- Atoms are neutral so electrons must be on the outside, separating one from the next.
Nuclear model of the atom
-Nucleus containing protons and neutrons, and electrons orbit this core.
Estimating the closest approach of a scattered particle
- Firing an alpha particle, you know its initial kinetic energy
- The particle momentarily is stopped and then turned back (deflected) at this point its electrical potential energy equals its initial kinetic energy.
- Ke = Eele = Q(gold) x q(alpha)/ k x r
- To find the charge of the nucleus you need to know the atoms proton number Z (how many protons in the nucleus) and the charge is Ze+ so the charge is the proton number x (1.6x10^-19)
How PET scans works
- Oxygen-15 is an unstable isotope, so when it decays it emits a beta particle (electron) and a positron (electrons antiparticle) and a neutrino.
- The positron collides with an electron and annihilate creating a pair of gamma rays that travel in opposite directions and the PET scans then detect these rays.
Particle annihilation
-When a particle and an antiparticle annihilate, the matter has been destroyed however energy is still there by the conservation of energy, so two gamma rays are produced.
Antiparticles
-The exact same mass as the particle, but opposite charge and lepton or baryon numbers
Electrons and positrons in uniform magnetic fields
- In a uniform magnetic field an electron and a positron will be deflected in opposite directions
- They will have paths of symmetrical curvature because they have the same magnitude of momentum.
- They move in a circular path but lose energy as they interact with atoms and slow down which results in the characteristic double spiral of pair production
For each type of particle there is an…
Antiparticle of equal mass and opposite charge
Also of opposite baryon and lepton number
After antiparticle annihilation..
Energy conservation results in two gamma rays (photon)
In any particle annihilation
- Charge is conserved
- Momentum (linear and angular) in conserved
- Energy is conserved (including rest E =mc^2)
Conserved quantities in electron-positron annihilation
- Energy is conserved: total energy before = total energy after
- Momentum is conserved: total linear momentum before = total linear moment after
- Charge is conserved: total charge before = total charge after
Antiparticle pair annhilation
- Two gamma rays produced
- Gamma energy plus kinetic energy of electrons
Antiparticle pair creation (two gamma rays)
-Very rare, cannot bring two identical photons together
Antiparticle pair creation (of nature)
-Gamma energy close to nucleus, and the gamma energy is converted to mass to conserve energy and momentum
Charged particles
-They are the source of the electrical and magnetic fields and these fields exert forces on other charged particles
Charge is proportional to…
Charge is proportional to the quantum amplitude to create or destroy a photon.
-Charge is the strength of the interaction between an electron and a photon.
When all the amplitudes are added up =>
Like charged repel and unlike attract
Adding up all the possible paths for a photon.
Feynman diagrams
-They shows the possibilities of the paths of a photon to be combined
Feynman diagrams: no photon exchange
The arrows pass straight from one electron to the positron
Feynman diagrams: one photon exchange
-The arrows are joins by one gamma ray.
The probability of an even creation is found by squaring the resultant amplitude
Feynman diagrams: Simple interaction (electron and gamma photon interact)
-Photon is absorbed at by electron and emitted after
Feynman diagrams: Simple interaction (electron emits gamma photon)
-Electron emits photon and absorbed photon later