Modern Physics

Origin of the Atom

5th century B.C.
Greek philosopher Democritus coins the term (atomos). Uncuttable

1803
John Dalton proposes that each element consists of atoms of a single, unique type.

Atom Models
1897 J.J. Thomson discovers electrons.
Atoms are known to be neutral There must be a positive component.

Plum pudding model

Thomson proposed that electrons were distributed in a positive material.

Atom Models
1909 Rutherford Experiment
Majority of atom s mass located in nucleus Electrons orbit the nucleus like planets around the sun.

1913 Niels Bohr

Electrons are confined to clearly defined orbits Electrons must absorb or emit specific amounts of energy to transition between orbits.

Atom Models
1926 Erwin Shrdinger
Exact location of electrons indeterminable, only probability (quantum physics). Electron cloud instead of well defined orbits.

Bohr Model

Energy Level Transition

An electron can change energy level by absorbing or emitting energy. PHOTONS!!! Photon: a particle of light.

Particle Wave Duality

Sometimes light behaves like a wave.
Polarization Interference Diffraction Reflection

Other time light behaves like a particle.

Reflection Electron absorption/emission.

Particle Wave Duality

Matter can also behave like a wave. Dr. Quantum

But back to electron transitions

Transitions
Horizontal line: energy level. Energy the energy required to ionize the electron from that level. Ionize to remove the electron from the atom.

Transitions
Electrons don t have to be ionized. Transition from one level to another. Move up absorb photon. Move down emit photon. Photon energy = difference in level energies. eV?

Electron-Volt
An electron-volt is the amount of energy required to move an electron through a potential difference of 1 volt. V = W/q W = Vq W = 1V (1.6*10-19C) 1 ev = 1.6*10-19 J

Possible Transitions
a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) j) k) l) m) n) o) 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 2 3 4 5 6 3 4 5 6 4 5 6 5 6 6

Transition Energies
Calculate the energy of your photon in eV.

Convert that energy to joules.

Energy and Frequency

The frequency of a photon is directly proportional to its energy.
High frequency/energy: Gamma Ray Low frequency/energy: Radio Wave

E = hf
h: Planck s constant = 6.63*10-34 Js

What is the frequency of your photon? What color is it?

Emission Spectrum

Absorption Spectrum

Absorption Spectrum of a Star

E=

2 mc

Energy and mass are equivalent. If you could be converted completely into energy, how much energy would that be?

Alpha Particle
2 protons & 2 neutrons
(helium nucleus)

Mass of proton? Mass of neutron? Mass of alpha particle? 6.646*10-27 kg

Missing Mass
Not a calculation error! The mass of 2 protons + 2 neutrons = 6.68*10-27 kg The mass of an alpha particle = 6.646*10-27 kg How much mass is missing? 3.4*10-29 kg

Where did it go?

Binding Energy
When (some) particles/atoms are combined, energy is released. This is the amount of energy that would be needed to break them apart. How much energy for an alpha particle?

Nuclear Fusion
When small atoms are combined to form larger atoms, energy is released. Fuel source for the sun/stars. Gravity pulls atoms together atoms fuse energy released. This process only creates atoms up to iron.

Nuclear Fission
Beyond iron, the binding energies of atoms decreases.
Fusing larger atoms together will NOT release energy.

When these atoms break apart, energy is released.

Fission and Missing Mass

235U

+ n = 92Kr + 142Ba + 2n

3.902996*10-25 kg 92Kr: 1.526469*10-25 kg 142Ba: 2.356578*10-25 kg

235U:

Where is the missing mass? How much is it? How much energy is it equivalent to?

Fission/Fusion

Standard Model
What is stuff made of? How does stuff interact?

Standard Model
The theory of subatomic particles and their interactions. Particles and their interactions were predicted and many were subsequently discovered.

Matter

Matter: anything that has mass.

Matter Hadrons: any particle that is composed of two or more quarks. Quark: fundamental particle.

Hadrons

Matter Leptons: fundamental particles of matter that do not interact via the strong force. (i.e. electron)

Hadrons

Leptons

Matter Baryon: a subatomic particle made up of three quarks or three anti-quarks. (i.e. proton or neutron)

Hadrons

Leptons

Baryons

Three quarks

Matter Meson: a subatomic particle composed of a quark and an anti-quark.

Hadrons

Leptons

Baryons

Mesons

Three quarks

Quark & Antiquark

Quarks
Up u +2/3e Down d -1/3e Charm c +2/3e Strange s -1/3e Top t +2/3e Bottom b -1/3e

Leptons
Electron e -1e Electron Neutrino 0 e Muon -1e Muon Neutrino 0 Tau -1e Tau Neutrino 0

Anti-Particles
For every particle (quark, lepton, proton, electron, etc.) there is a corresponding antiparticle. The anti-particle has the same mass and opposite charge of the particle. Symbol for anti-particle is the same as the particle but with a bar over it.

Up: u

Anti-Up: u

Fundamental Forces
Gravity: force of attraction that all things with mass have for each other. Weak Force: force that acts between leptons and is involved in the decay of hadrons. EM Force: force associated with electric and magnetic fields. Strong Force: binds quarks together to form hadrons and binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus.