ConceptConceptDocsDocuments

CAIE A-Level Physics 24.3.3 Electron–Positron Annihilation

Practise explaining particle-antiparticle annihilation and applying conservation of mass-energy and momentum to the products.

Syllabus
2028–2030
Course
Physics 9702
Level
A2

Exam points

  • explain annihilation as interaction of a particle with its antiparticle
  • apply conservation of mass-energy and momentum to the products of annihilation

24.3.3—Annihilation occurs when a particle interacts with its antiparticle and that question 1

[Maximum number: 2]

An electron, at rest, has mass mem_{\mathrm{e}} and charge -q.
A positron is a particle that, at rest, has mass mem_{\mathrm{e}} and charge +q.
A positron interacts with an electron. The electron and the positron may be considered to be at rest.
The outcome of this interaction is that the electron and the positron become two gamma-ray ( γ\gamma-ray) photons, each having the same energy.

State and explain the direction, relative to each other, in which the γ\gamma-ray photons are emitted.

All question bank results loaded