Particle physics Flashcards
Gluon gauge boson - type of force and particles affected:
Strong force - hadrons
What are gauge bosons
Force carriers (only energy, disappear once energy has been transferred.
Photon gauge boson - type of force and particles affected
EM - charged
What is a neutrino
Particle with no charge and near zero mass
Z gauge boson - type of force and particles affected
Week force - all
What is pair production
A photon of sufficient energy is converted into a particle and it’s equivalent antiparticle with equal kinetic energy.
W+ / W- gauge boson - type of force and particles affected
Week force - all
What does the photoelectric effect demonstrate
light travels in packets of energy not as a wave because a wave would flow continuously, so prolonged exposure would cause the same effect as higher frequency.
Photoelectric effect - effect of an increase in frequency
A threshold frequency (of UV light) must be achieved
Describe what happens in Alpha decay
A helium nucleus (2 protons and 2 neutrons) are lost
Describe what happens in +1 Beta decay
A proton becomes a neutron, a positron and electron nutrition
Describe what happens in -1 Beta decay
A neutron becomes a proton, an electron and an electron antinutrino
EM force:
- description
- strength
- range
- Attracts oppositely charged particles
- Fairly strong
- Unlimited range
Gravitational force:
- description
- strength
- range
- All matter attracts all other matter
- Very week
- Unlimited range
Strong Force:
- description
- strength
- range
- Attractive or repulsive depending on distance, holds nuclei together.
- Very strong
- Range of a few nuclei (follows inverse square law)
