Questions on Fundamental Particles

1 (a) Name the class of particles that

(i) are made of quarks (ii) are made of 3 quarks (iii) are made of a quark and an antiquark.

(b) State the name of the group of particles which includes (i) electrons and neutrinos

(ii) protons and neutrons.

2 Distinguish between (State one similarity and difference between) baryons and mesons

3 Determine the charge Q of these hadrons: (i) K+ meson 𝑢𝑠̅ (ii) 0 meson 𝑢𝑢̅

4 What is the quark composition of (i) H-3 nucleus (ii) -particle

56
5 How many up quarks are there in the nucleus of iron 26𝐹𝑒

6 Particle  has quark composition 𝑢𝑑𝑠. What is the charge on  particle?

7 A - (pi-minus) meson has quark composition 𝑑𝑢̅. Deduce the quark composition of particle X if
X → p + -.

8 A - (omega-minus) baryon consists of 3 strange quarks.

(a) Determine its charge relative to the proton.

(b) It decays into a - meson and a baryon X, which contains 2 strange quarks and another quark.

1. State the quark composition of the (i) - meson (ii) baryon X.

2. Write the equation of the decay in terms of the constituent quarks, stating with a reason the
force mediating the decay.

9 Kaons K are mesons.

Kaon minus K- has strangeness -1.

Kaon plus K+ and kaon neutral K0 have both strangeness +1.

(a) Write down the quark composition of (i) K- (ii) K+ (iii) K0

(b) In a strong interaction, K+ + p → K0 + K+ + X

Deduce the quark composition of X, and state the type of hadron represented by X.

(c) A positive muon + may decay to a positron and two neutrinos. Write down an equation
representing the muon decay.
Exercises on atoms, nuclei & radiation.

1. (i) Calculate the speed of an -particle with k.e of 5 MeV. (ans; 1.6 × 107 ms-1)
(ii) Calculate the speed of a -particle with k.e of 0.1 MeV. (me = 9.11 × 10-31 kg)
(ans; 1.9 × 108 ms-1)
2. Sodium nucleus ( 22 22
11𝑁𝑎 ) decays to form Neon nucleus ( 10𝑁𝑒 )

Write down the nuclear equation to represent the radioactive decay of sodium nucleus.
3. Phosphorous nucleus ( 32 32
15𝑃 ) decays to form Sulfur nucleus ( 16𝑆).

Write down the nuclear equation to represent the radioactive decay of phosphorous nucleus.
208
4. Polonium nucleus ( 212
84𝑃𝑜 ) decays to form Lead nucleus ( 82𝑃𝑏).

Write down the nuclear equation to represent the radioactive decay of polonium nucleus.
5. Find the number of -particles and --particles emitted when Uranium nucleus (238
92𝑈)

decays to form Lead nucleus ( 214

82𝑃𝑏).

32 32 208
Answers: (2) 22
11𝑁𝑎 → 22
10𝑁𝑒 + +10𝑒 + 00𝜐𝑒 (3) 15𝑃 → 16𝑆 + −10𝑒 + 00𝜐̅𝑒 (4) 212
84𝑃𝑜 → 82𝑃𝑏 + 42𝐻𝑒
(5) 6 -particles and 2 --particles

Q 8 (a) 224
88𝑅𝑎 → 220
86𝑅𝑛 + 42𝐻𝑒 + 
2𝐸𝑘 2×9.2×10−13
(b) 𝑣 = √ =√ = 1.7 × 107 ms-1
𝑚𝛼 4×1.66×10−27

(c) 0 = 𝑚𝑅𝑛 𝑣𝑅𝑛 − 𝑚𝛼 𝑣𝛼

𝑚𝛼 4𝑢
𝑣𝑅𝑛 = 𝑣𝛼 = × 1.7 × 107 = 3.0 × 105 ms-1
𝑚𝑅𝑛 220𝑢

Ra


before Rn
decay

after decay

𝑝2 1
𝐸𝑘 = 
2𝑚 𝑚
Before decay, momentum of Radium nucleus is zero (at rest). After decay, total momentum of
products must be zero in order for momentum to conserve. So, Radon nucleus and alpha particle
must have momentum equal in magnitude and opposite in directions.
Some conservation laws/rules in interactions between fundamental particles:
1. Baryon number is conserved
2. Lepton number is conserved
3. Strangeness number is conserved, but only in strong and e.m interactions and not in weak
interaction
Beta decay could not be explained by the
1. strong nuclear force because the force is responsible for holding the nucleus together against
the electrostatic repulsive force between protons and not affecting the electrons.
2. E.M force because the force does not affect neutrons.
3. Force of gravity because it is too weak to be responsible.
All kaons (also called K-meson) have either a strange or an antistrange quark

Strange quarks are paired with either an 𝑢̅ or 𝑑̅ . E.g ̅̅̅̅

𝐾 0 = 𝑠𝑑̅ 𝐾 − = 𝑠𝑢̅
Antistrange quarks are paired with either an 𝑢 or 𝑑 quark. E.g 𝐾 + = 𝑢𝑠̅ 𝐾 0 = 𝑑𝑠̅
Strange quarks have an additional property called strangeness.
All strange particles have a property of strangeness, which is quantum number.
Strange particles are produced through the strong interaction, where strangeness is conserved
hence strange particles are produced in pairs.

1 GeV
1 GeV is equivalent to a mass of c2

Quarks GeV
Mass in 𝑐2

Up 0.005
Down 0.01
Strange 0.2
Charm 1.5
Bottom 4.5 greater mass than proton
Top 175

Electron 0.000511
Proton 0.9383
Neutron 0.9396
 Electric fields

197
1. Calculate the electrostatic force between an alpha particle 42𝐻𝑒 and a gold nucleus 79𝐴𝑢 , which
are 2.0 mm apart in vacuum. (ans: 9.1 × 10-21 N)

2. (a) Calculate the electric field strength at a distance of 70 pm from an electron.

(b) A metal sphere of diameter 15 cm is negatively charged. The electric field strength at the
surface of the sphere is 1.5 × 105 V m−1. Determine the total surface charge of the sphere.
(ans: 2.9 × 10-11 NC-1, 94 nC)

3. A Van de Graaf generator has a spherical dome of radius 15 cm. It is charged up to a potential
of 240 kV. Calculate (a) How much charge is stored on the dome (b) The potential a distance of
30 cm from the dome. (ans: 40 C, 80 kV)

4. Two light polystyrene spheres, which have been coated in a conducting

metallic paint. Each has been charged positively by a high-voltage supply to
about 3 kV. They are suspended by pieces of cotton 15 cm long, and they 15 cm

are pushed apart by 6 cm by the repulsive electrostatic force between them.

The mass of each sphere is 0.08 g. Calculate the charge on each sphere. 6 cm
(ans: 8 nC)

5. Calculate the work is done in taking a charge of 1.00 × 10−9 C from the position r2 to r1.

(ans: 675 nJ)

6 An -particle 42𝐻𝑒 is moving directly towards a stationary gold nucleus 197

79Au.

At a distance of 4.7 × 10-15 m, the -particle momentarily comes to rest. Calculate the electric
potential energy of the particles at this instant. (ans: 7.7 × 10-12 J)

7 An -particle 42𝐻𝑒 of energy 5 MeV is fired towards a gold nucleus. Calculate the closest
distance of approach of the -particle to the gold nucleus. (ans: 45 fm)

8 Two electrons are fixed 2.0 cm apart. Another electron is shot from infinity and stops midway
between the two. Calculate its initial speed? (ans: 318 ms-1)