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11. Particle physics

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  1. 11.1 Atoms, nuclei and radiation

    1. • infer from the results of the α-particle scattering experiment the existence and small size of the nucleus

    2. • describe a simple model for the nuclear atom to include protons, neutrons and orbital electrons

    3. • distinguish between nucleon number and proton number

    4. • understand that isotopes are forms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei

    5. • understand and use the notation A Z X for the representation of nuclides

    6. • understand that nucleon number and charge are conserved in nuclear processes

    7. • describe the composition, mass and charge of α-, β- and γ-radiations (both β– (electrons) and β+ (positrons) are included)

    8. • understand that an antiparticle has the same mass but opposite charge to the corresponding particle, and that a positron is the antiparticle of an electron

    9. • state that (electron) antineutrinos are produced during β– decay and (electron) neutrinos are produced during β+ decay

    10. • understand that α-particles have discrete energies but that β-particles have a continuous range of energies because (anti)neutrinos are emitted in β-decay

    11. • represent α- and β-decay by a radioactive decay equation of the form UT h92 238 90 234 2 4" + α

    12. • use the unified atomic mass unit (u) as a unit of mass

  2. 11.2 Fundamental particles

    1. 11.2.1A quark is a fundamental particle and that there are six flavours (types) of

      • understand that a quark is a fundamental particle and that there are six flavours (types) of quark: up, down, strange, charm, top and bottom

    2. 11.2.2The charge of each flavour of quark and understand that its respective

      • recall and use the charge of each flavour of quark and understand that its respective antiquark has the opposite charge (no knowledge of any other properties of quarks is required)

    3. 11.2.3That protons and neutrons are not fundamental particles and describe protons

      • recall that protons and neutrons are not fundamental particles and describe protons and neutrons in terms of their quark composition

    4. 11.2.4A hadron may be either a baryon (consisting of three quarks) or a meson

      • understand that a hadron may be either a baryon (consisting of three quarks) or a meson (consisting of one quark and one antiquark)

    5. 11.2.5The changes to quark composition that take place during β– and β+ decay

      • describe the changes to quark composition that take place during β– and β+ decay

    6. 11.2.6That electrons and neutrinos are fundamental particles called leptons

      • recall that electrons and neutrinos are fundamental particles called leptons