Particles

Question 1

What is the specific charge and what are it’s units

Answer 1

The ration of the charge to the mass of a particle, it’s units are C kg^-1

Question 2

What is the nucleon number?

Answer 2

The top number in the atomic notation and is the total number of neutrons and protons in a given nucleus and so is it’s mass

Question 3

What are the 4 fundamental forces?

Answer 3

Gravity, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force and electromagnetism

Question 4

What is the quark structure and strangeness of a positive Kaon?

Answer 4

Up and anti strange giving a strangeness of +1, charge of +e and baryon number 0

Question 5

What is the formula for beta plus decay

Answer 5

A proton decays into a neutron and emits a positron and an electron neutrino via a W+ boson

Question 6

What happens in beta minus decay?

Answer 6

A neutron decays into a proton and emits an electron and an anti electron neutrino via the W- boson

Question 7

What happens in electron capture?

Answer 7

A proton and an electron interact via the W+ boson and form a neutron and an electron neutrino, this happens within the nucleus so changes which element we have

Question 8

What is the electron proton collision?

Answer 8

An electron and proton interact via the W- boson and emit a neutron and an electron neutrino, happens outside of the nucleus

Question 9

What is the force carrier for an electron interaction?

Answer 9

A virtual photon with symbol gamma

Question 10

What are the 4 conserved quantities in a particle interaction?

Answer 10

Momentum, charge, baryon number and strangeness

Question 11

What is the baryon number on all baryons and anti baryons?

Answer 11

All baryons have a baryon number of +1 and all anti baryons have a baryon number of -1 as all quarks have a baryon number of 1\3

Question 12

What is the quark configuration of a proton, antiproton, neutron and antineutron?

Answer 12

A proton is uud, anti proton is anti uud, neutron is udd and anti neutron is anti udd

Question 13

What happens when a positron and an electron collide

Answer 13

They annihilate and emit at least two virtual photons to take care of the excess energy that needs to be conserved in the interaction

Question 14

When is strangeness conserved?

Answer 14

It is only conserved in the strong and electromagnetic interactions and NOT in the weak interactions