A Level Physics CIE - Particle Physics

Vocabulary flashcards for particle physics based on Save My Exams revision notes.

Alpha Particle

The nucleus of a helium atom; positively charged.

Beta Particle

High energy electrons emitted from the nucleus of an atom; emitted by nuclei with too many neutrons.

Gamma Ray

High energy electromagnetic waves emitted by nuclei needing to lose energy.

Proton Number (Atomic Number)

The number of protons in an atom.

Nucleon Number (Mass Number)

The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

Nucleon

A particle in the nucleus, either a proton or a neutron.

Nuclide

A nucleus with a specific combination of protons and neutrons.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Conservation of Nucleon Number & Charge

Nuclear processes in which the number of protons and neutrons are conserved.

Electron Neutrino

A type of subatomic particle with no charge and negligible mass, emitted from the nucleus during beta decay.

Electron Anti-Neutrino

The antiparticle of a neutrino; produced during β– decay.

Quarks

Fundamental particles that make up hadrons, such as protons and neutrons.

Hadron

Any particle made up of quarks.

Anti-Quark

The equivalent antiparticle of a quark, with opposite relative charges.

Leptons

A group of fundamental (elementary) particles that are not made up of any other particles (no quarks).

Baryon

Hadrons made up of three quarks.

Meson

Hadrons made up of a quark and anti-quark pair.