Additional notes on Particle Physics

Fundamental forces

There are four fundamental forces or interactions : gravitational, electromagnetic, ,

strong nuclear force and weak nuclear force.
The gravitational force acts on particles having mass.
The electromagnetic force acts on charged particles.
The strong nuclear force acts on hadrons.
The weak nuclear force acts on quarks and leptons. This is also a short range force. During
a weak interaction, one type of quark is always changed into another. The best known weak
interaction is the beta decay (both beta-minus and beta-plus).

Note : 1. During an alpha-decay, the electromagnetic interaction between protons becomes

more than the strong nuclear interaction so that an alpha-particle escapes, leaving
the nucleus less positive.
2. During a beta-decay, there is a weak interactions between quarks resulting in a
quark changing type.

Exercises

1 (a) Give one example of [1]

a hadron:
a lepton:

(b) Describe, in terms of the simple quark model, [2]

(i) a proton,
(ii) a neutron.

(c) Beta particles may be emitted during the decay of an unstable nucleus of an atom. The
emission of a beta particle is due to the decay of a neutron.

(i) Complete the following word equation for the particles produced in this reaction. [1]

neutron .................................... + .................................... + ....................................

(ii) State the change in quark composition of the particles during this reaction. [1]

[Jun2016/21]
2 (a) State the name of the class (group) to which each of the following belongs: [2]

electron ...............................................................
neutron ................................................................
neutrino ...............................................................
proton ..................................................................

(b) A proton may decay into a neutron together with two other particles.
(i) Complete the following to give an equation that represents this proton decay. [2]

(ii) Write an equation for this decay in terms of quark composition. [1]
(iii) State the name of the force responsible for this decay. [1]

[Jun2016/22]

3 An uncharged atom of uranium-238 has a change made to its number of orbital electrons.
This causes the atom to change into a new particle (ion) X that has an overall charge of +2e,
where e is the elementary charge.

(i) Determine the number of protons, neutrons and electrons in the particle (ion) X. [3]

(ii) The nucleus of uranium-238 decays in stages, by emitting α-particles and β– particles,

to form a nucleus of thorium-230 .

Calculate the total number of α-particles and the total number of β– particles that are emitted
during the decay of uranium-238 to thorium-230. [2]

[Jun20/21]

(i) State the number represented by the letters P, Q, R and S. [2]

(ii) State the name of the interaction (force) that gives rise to β+ decay. [1]

(b) A hadron is composed of three identical quarks and has a charge of +2e, where e is the
elementary charge.
Determine a possible type (flavour) of the quarks.
Explain your working. [2]

[Jun20/22]
5
State the number of protons and the number of neutrons in nucleus X. [2]

(b) State one similarity between a β+ particle and a β– particle. [1]

(c) State the quark composition of a meson. [1]

(d) A hadron consists of two down quarks and a charm quark.

Determine the charge of the hadron. Show your working. [2]

[Specimen 2022]