AQA Physics A-level: Particles and Radiation
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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of carbon-14 dating?

  • To measure the temperature of ancient artifacts
  • To find the approximate age of organic material (correct)
  • To determine the chemical composition of organic materials
  • To find the age of objects with inorganic material
  • Stable nuclei are those that have an optimal number of protons and neutrons, preventing decay.

    True

    What role does the strong nuclear force play in the stability of nuclei?

    It counteracts the electrostatic force of repulsion between protons.

    During alpha decay, the proton number decreases by __, and the nucleon number decreases by __.

    <p>2, 4</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the types of nuclear decay with their descriptions:

    <p>Alpha decay = Occurs in large nuclei with too many protons and neutrons Beta-minus decay = Occurs in neutron-rich nuclei Carbon-14 dating = Uses the remaining carbon-14 to determine age of organic materials</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the nucleon number during beta-minus decay?

    <p>It stays the same</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Unstable nuclei will always undergo alpha decay.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What observation led scientists to understand that energy was not conserved during beta-minus decay?

    <p>Observations of the energy levels of particles before and after decay showed energy discrepancies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the mass of an electron?

    <p>9.11 ✕ 10^{-31} kg</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Annihilation involves a particle and its corresponding antiparticle colliding to produce one photon.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary application of annihilation in medicine?

    <p>PET scanner</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is required for pair production to occur?

    <p>The photon must have energy greater than the total rest energy of the particles.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The antiparticle of an electron is called the ______.

    <p>positron</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Exchange particles carry energy and momentum between particles experiencing the same fundamental force.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following particles with their properties:

    <p>Electron = Charge -1.6 ✕ 10^{-19} C Positron = Charge +1.6 ✕ 10^{-19} C Electron neutrino = Mass 0 Electron antineutrino = Mass 0</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Planck constant value used in the energy of photons equation?

    <p>6.63 ✕ 10^{-34} Js</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Name the four fundamental forces in nature.

    <p>Gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear, strong nuclear</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Photons have mass.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In particle physics, pair production involves the conversion of a photon into matter and ________.

    <p>antimatter</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the fundamental forces with their respective exchange particles:

    <p>Gravity = Graviton Electromagnetic = Photon Weak Nuclear = W and Z bosons Strong Nuclear = Gluon</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between the energy of photons and the frequency of electromagnetic radiation?

    <p>Directly proportional</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the constituents of an atom?

    <p>Protons, electrons, and neutrons</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Electrons have a positive charge.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the proton number denoted by, and what does it represent?

    <p>Z, it represents the number of protons in an atom.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    A neutron has ______ charge.

    <p>0</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following particles with their properties:

    <p>Proton = 1.67 ✕ 10−27 kg Neutron = 0 charge Electron = -1 charge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the specific charge of a proton?

    <p>9.58 ✕ 10^7 Ckg^-1</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Isotopes have different numbers of protons.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the nucleon number (A) represent?

    <p>The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What describes the minimum energy required for electrons to be emitted from the surface of a metal?

    <p>Work function</p> Signup and view all the answers

    If the frequency of light is above the threshold frequency, no photoelectrons will be emitted even with increased intensity.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the equation that relates energy, work function, and maximum kinetic energy of photoelectrons?

    <p>E = hf = Φ + E_k(max)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The potential difference needed to stop photoelectrons is called the ______.

    <p>stopping potential</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Match the following terms with their definitions:

    <p>Photon = Discrete packet of light energy Ionization = Removal of an electron from an atom Excitation = Movement of an electron to a higher energy level Work Function = Minimum energy to release an electron from a metal surface</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to an electron when it gains enough energy from a free electron?

    <p>It undergoes ionization</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In a fluorescent tube, the excitation of electrons results in the production of light.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What occurs when an electron falls back to its ground state after excitation?

    <p>It releases energy in the form of a photon.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Constituents of the Atom

    • An atom consists of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
    • The nucleus contains protons and neutrons (nucleons), while electrons orbit it in shells.
    • Particle properties can be defined in SI and relative units, including charge, mass, and specific charge.

    Charge and Mass of Particles

    • Proton: +1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C, mass 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg, specific charge 9.58 × 10⁷ Ckg⁻¹.
    • Neutron: Neutral charge, mass 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg, specific charge 0.
    • Electron: -1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C, mass 9.11 × 10⁻³¹ kg, specific charge 1.76 × 10¹¹ Ckg⁻¹.

    Atomic Number and Isotopes

    • Proton number (Z) represents the number of protons; nucleon number (A) is the count of protons and neutrons.
    • Isotopes are atoms with identical proton numbers but differing neutron counts (e.g., carbon-14).
    • Carbon dating utilizes the decay of carbon-14 to estimate the age of organic materials.

    Stable and Unstable Nuclei

    • The strong nuclear force (SNF) stabilizes nuclei by overcoming proton repulsion.
    • SNF is short-range, attractive up to 3 fm, but repulsive below 0.5 fm.
    • Unstable nuclei decay to achieve stability when they have too many protons or neutrons.

    Types of Decay

    • Alpha decay occurs in large nuclei with excess protons and neutrons, reducing proton number by 2 and nucleon number by 4.
    • Beta-minus decay affects neutron-rich nuclei, increasing proton count by 1 while nucleon count remains unchanged.
    • Neutrinos were theorized due to energy conservation issues observed during beta decay.

    Particles and Antiparticles

    • Each particle has a corresponding antiparticle with opposing properties—e.g., positron is the antiparticle of the electron.
    • Photon properties: energy measured in MeV, travels as massless packets.

    Annihilation and Pair Production

    • Annihilation occurs when a particle meets its antiparticle, converting their mass into energy, generating two photons.
    • PET scanners use annihilation to produce detectable gamma photons for medical imaging.
    • Pair production converts a high-energy photon into a particle and antiparticle pair if the photon energy exceeds their total rest energy.

    Fundamental Forces and Particle Interactions

    • Four fundamental forces: gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear, strong nuclear.
    • Exchange particles transfer energy and momentum between particles, influencing their interactions.
    • In electromagnetic interactions, photons are absorbed by electrons; higher frequency light increases photoelectron emission.

    Photoelectric Effect

    • Work function (ϕ) is the minimum energy to release electrons from a metal surface.
    • The stopping potential (Vs) is the voltage needed to halt photoelectrons with maximum kinetic energy.
    • The photoelectric equation relates work function, maximum kinetic energy, and light frequency: E = hf = Φ + Ek(max).

    Electron Collisions and Energy Levels

    • Electrons exist in discrete energy levels and can transition between them through excitation or ionization.
    • Excitation occurs when an electron gains energy; ionization happens if energy exceeds the ionization energy.
    • Fluorescent tubes use excitation to generate light by returning electrons to their ground state, releasing energy as photons.

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    Description

    This quiz covers the key concepts of particles in physics, specifically focusing on the constituents of atoms, including protons, neutrons, and electrons. Understand the structure of the atom, the roles of nucleons, and the properties of these fundamental particles. Perfect for students preparing for the AQA A-level exam.

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