Edexcel A-Level Physics A2 4.5.123 Charge Baryon and Lepton Number Conservation Questions

Practise Edexcel A-Level Physics charge, baryon and lepton conservation by testing decay equations and identifying missing particles.

Exam points

check charge conservation by summing particle charges before and after an interaction
use baryon and lepton numbers to decide whether a decay or collision is possible
identify missing particles such as neutrinos, antineutrinos, mesons or baryons from conservation laws

[Maximum number: 3]

A muon will decay into a neutrino, an antineutrino and an electron or a positron.
A positron is the antiparticle of an electron.

Explain whether the following decay would be possible.

You should consider conservation of charge and lepton number.

\mu^{-} \rightarrow e^{-}+v_{e}+\bar{v}_{\mu}

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