Particles and Radiation

What happens during electron capture?

A proton absorbs an electron turning the proton into a neutron and releasing a neutrino.

What happens during beta plus decay?

A proton decays into a neutron, releasing a positron and a neutrino.

What happens during beta minus decay?

A neutron decays into a proton, releasing an electron and an antineutrino.

What happens during electron-proton collision?

An electron collides with a proton, releasing a neutron and a neutrino.

What is the range of attraction for the strong nuclear force?

0.5-3fm

What are the four fundamental interactions?

Electromagnetic, Gravity, Weak nuclear, Strong nuclear

What is the exchange particle for the electromagnetic force?

Virtual photon

What are the exchange particles for the weak interaction?

W+ and W-

What are the two classes of hadrons?

Baryons and Mesons

What is a baryon made up of?

3 quarks

What is a meson made up of?

A quark and an antiquark

What is the exchange particle for the strong nuclear force?

Pion

What does a kaon decay into?

A charged pion and a neutrino-antineutrino pair

Name the three types of leptons.

Electron, Muon, Neutrino

What does a muon decay into?

Electron, antineutrino and a muon neutrino

When is strangeness conserved?

Strong interactions

State what is meant by threshold frequency.

Minimum frequency of electromagnetic radiation for an electron to be emitted from the surface of a metal.

State what is meant by work function.

The minimum energy required to remove an electron from a metal surface.

State what is meant by stopping potential.

The voltage at which the photoelectric current reaches zero.

What does electron diffraction suggest?

Particles possess wave properties.

What does the photoelectric effect suggest?

Electromagnetic waves have a particulate nature.

Describe absorption spectra

When white light passes through a gas, specific wavelengths are absorbed by the gas atoms, leaving dark lines in the continuous spectrum.

Describe emission spectra

When an excited gas emits light, specific wavelengths are emitted, creating bright lines against a dark background.