Physics P1 - Particles, antiparticles & photons

What is there for every type of particle?

An antiparticle.

What is an antiparticle?

It has the same rest energy and mass, but all other properties are opposite the particles.

What is the antiparticle of the electron?

Positron

What is the antiparticle of the neutrino?

Anti-neutrino

What is the rest energy of an electron or positron in MeV?

0.511

What is the rest energy and charge of a neutrino?

0

What does electromagnetic radiation travel in?

Photons.

What are photons?

They are like little packets of light, which transfer energy and have no mass.

What is the energy of a photon directly proportional to?

The frequency of the electromagnetic radiation.

What are the equations for photon energy?

E = hf = hc/λ

What is the numerical value of the Planck Constant?

6.63x10^-34 Js

What is annihilation?

It is where a particle and an antiparticle collide.

What happens due to annihilation?

Particles mass is converted into energy.

How is the energy released from annihilation released?

It is released in 2 photons travelling in opposite directions to conserve momentum.

What is an application of annihilation?

A PET scanner, which creates 3D images of the inside of a body.

What is pair production?

It is where a photon is converted into an equal amount of matter and antimatter.

When can pair production occur?

When the photon has an energy greater than the total rest energy of both masses. Any external energy is converted into kinetic energy.