Fundamental Forces and Particles Quiz

The force of attraction between objects with mass.

Force acting between charged particles, responsible for electricity, magnetism, and light.

Force holding protons and neutrons together in atomic nuclei.

Force responsible for nuclear decay (e.g., beta decay).

Fundamental particle, building block of protons and neutrons.

Particle made of quarks held together by strong force.

Smallest unit of an element, retaining element's properties.

Group of two or more atoms bonded.

Atoms of the same element having the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, therefore different atomic masses.

A physical principle stating that a quantity (e.g., light, gravity) decreases in proportion to the square of the distance from the source.

A positively charged particle found in the atom's nucleus.

A neutrally charged particle found in the atom's nucleus, similar in mass to a proton.

A negatively charged particle orbiting the nucleus in electron clouds.

Gravitational force is too weak to significantly affect atoms.

Nuclear forces (strong forces) act over a distance small like a nucleus, only a very short distance.

A heavy nucleus splitting into smaller pieces releasing energy.

Light nuclei combining to form a heavier one releasing energy.

The longest diameter of an ellipse, passing through the center and the two foci.

The shortest diameter of an ellipse, passing through the center perpendicular to the major axis.

A measure of how elongated or oval-shaped an ellipse is. A value of 0 represents a perfect circle, while values closer to 1 indicate a more elongated shape.

States that planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse.

The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane.

The point in Earth's orbit when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted most directly towards the Sun, resulting in the longest day of the year and the warmest temperatures.

The point in Earth's orbit when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted furthest away from the Sun, resulting in the shortest day of the year and the coldest temperatures.

While Earth's slightly elliptical orbit causes slight variation in distance from the Sun, the main factor influencing the length of seasons is the tilt of Earth's axis.

A graph showing the relationship between the number of nucleons (protons and neutrons) in an atom's nucleus and the binding energy per nucleon. It reveals how strongly bound the nucleons are in the nucleus.

Elements with the highest binding energy per nucleon are the most stable. This means their nuclei are very tightly bound, making them less likely to undergo radioactive decay.

Einstein's famous equation linking energy (E) and mass (m) through a constant, the speed of light squared (c2), demonstrating the interchangeability of mass and energy in nuclear reactions.

The sensation of having no force of support on your body, often experienced during free fall, like astronauts in orbit. Even though gravity acts on them, the continuous free fall creates this feeling.

The force of attraction between any two objects with mass. The more massive the objects, the stronger the force. The closer the objects, the stronger the force.

A fundamental constant in physics representing the strength of gravitational interaction. It's a very small number, 6.674 x 10^-11 Nm^2/kg^2.

The acceleration experienced by an object falling freely toward the Earth. It's a constant value, approximately 9.8 m/s^2 at the Earth's surface.

The force of gravity acting on an object's mass. It's calculated using the formula Fg = m * g, where 'm' is the object's mass and 'g' is the acceleration due to gravity.

Mass is the amount of matter in an object, a constant value. Weight is the force of gravity acting on that mass, variable depending on location.

Planets orbit the Sun due to gravity. The Sun's massive pull keeps the planets from flying off in a straight line, causing them to curve around in an elliptical path.

Unlike a perfect circle, an ellipse has two focal points, one of which is occupied by the Sun in a planetary orbit. This creates an oval-shaped path for the planet.