Particles and radiation Flashcards
(103 cards)
Describe the structure of an atom
-there is a massive, +ve charge located in the centre of the atom (nucleus) containing protons and neutrons
-there are e- which orbit the nucleus in fixed energy levels
What are the charges of protons, neutrons and electrons?
p- 1.60 x 10^-19 C
n- 0
e- -1.60 x 10^-19 C
What are the relative charges of protons, neutrons and electrons?
p- +1e
n- 0
e- -1e
What are the masses of protons, neutrons and electrons?
p- 1.67 x 10^-27 kg
n- 1.67 x 10^-27 kg
e- 9.11 x 10^-31 kg
What are the relative masses of protons, neutrons and electrons?
p- 1
n- 1
e- 1/2000
What is a nuclide?
a very specific nucleus, there is a specified number of protons and neutrons
What is a nucleon?
a particle from the nucleus such as a proton or neutron
What is an isotope?
nuclei with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons
What is an ion and how are they formed?
-a charged particle
-formed when there is an imbalance of electrons and protons in an atom
What is specific charge? What is its units?
the ratio of charge to mass
units- Ckg^-1
How do you work out specific charge?
specific charge (Ckg^-1) = charge of particle (C) / mass (kg)
Calculate the specific charge of a proton
charge= 1.60 x 10^-19 C
mass= 1.67 x 10^-27 kg
Divide charge by mass to get 9.58 x 10^7 Ckg^-1
List the 4 fundamental forces of particle interactions
E-M force
Gravitational force
Strong nuclear force
Weak interaction
Describe the E-M force
acts on charged particles
Describe the gravitational force
-very weak
-acts on mass
-always attractive
Describe the strong nuclear force (3)
-very strong
-short range
-acts on nucleons to bind the nucleus
Describe weak interaction (4)
-short range
-decay of particles
-does not need to conserve strangeness
-allows one quark to change into another (changes quark flavour)
What is the strong nuclear force?
a fundamental force that keeps the nucleus stable by counteracting the electrostatic force of repulsion between protons
Draw a diagram showing the strong nuclear force on nucleons and label it
https://cdn.savemyexams.co.uk/cdn-cgi/image/w=1920,f=auto/uploads/2021/02/4.-Strong-Nuclear-Force_-Graph.png
Describe how the strong nuclear force changes as the distance between two nucleons is changed.
-for nucleon separation less than 0.5fm, the strong nuclear force is repulsive
-between 0.5fm and 3fm, the force is attractive
-beyond 3fm nucleon separation, the force is 0
Why can’t the strong nuclear force stabilise all particles?
as some unstable nuclei have too many of protons, neutrons (or both) therefore this force isn’t enough to keep them stable
What other decay could be used if the strong nuclear force doesn’t work?
alpha decay
beta minus decay
Describe alpha decay and provide a general formula for it
occurs in large nuclei, with too many of both protons and neutrons
https://cdn.savemyexams.co.uk/cdn-cgi/image/w=1920,f=auto/uploads/2021/08/6.2.7-GCSE-Alpha-Equation.png
What is an alpha particle?
a particle which contains two protons and neutrons, the same as a helium nucleus