Essential University Physics, 3e (Wolfson)

Chapter 39 From Quarks to the Cosmos

39.1 Conceptual Questions
1) Which of the following particles are leptons? (There may be more than one correct choice.)
A) positron
B) muon
C) -meson
D) neutron
E) electron
Answer: A, B, E
Var: 1

2) Particles that do not interact via the strong force but do interact via the weak nuclear force
(and presumably by the much weaker gravitation force) are called
A) baryons.
B) mesons.
C) hadrons.
D) leptons.
E) nucleons.
Answer: D
Var: 1

3) What type of particle is an electron? (There may be more than one correct choice.)
A) lepton
B) meson
C) baryon
D) nucleon
E) hadron
Answer: A
Var: 1

4) What type of particle is a proton? (There may be more than one correct choice.)
A) lepton
B) meson
C) baryon
D) nucleon
E) hadron
Answer: C, D, E
Var: 1

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5) What type of particle is a neutron? (There may be more than one correct choice.)
A) lepton
B) meson
C) baryon
D) nucleon
E) hadron
Answer: C, D, E
Var: 1

6) Hadrons are divided into two subgroups called

A) baryons and leptons.
B) leptons and mesons.
C) mesons and baryons.
D) nucleons and leptons.
E) mesons and leptons.
Answer: C
Var: 1

7) How many different kinds of leptons are known to exist, including antiparticles as different
kinds?
A) 4
B) 6
C) 8
D) 2
E) 12
Answer: E
Var: 1

8) Consider the possibility that a neutron could decay into a proton and a pion. What, if any, of
the following conservation laws would this process violate?
A) conservation of energy
B) conservation of lepton number
C) conservation of charge
D) conservation of baryon number
E) None of the above laws would be violated.
Answer: A
Var: 1

9) Consider the decay o - + e+. This decay is

A) allowed.
B) forbidden because conservation of energy is violated.
C) forbidden because conservation of baryon number is violated.
D) forbidden because conservation of mass is violated.
E) forbidden because conservation of lepton numbers is violated.
Answer: E
Var: 1

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10) Consider the decay + + + . This decay is

A) allowed.
B) forbidden because conservation of energy is violated.
C) forbidden because conservation of baryon number is violated.
D) forbidden because conservation of mass is violated.
E) forbidden because conservation of lepton numbers is violated.
Answer: E
Var: 1

11) The reaction p + e- + e+ is not possible because

A) baryon number is not conserved.
B) lepton number is not conserved.
C) charge is not conserved.
D) energy is not conserved.
E) This reaction IS possible.
Answer: A
Var: 1

12) The reaction p + e+ + is not possible because

A) baryon number is not conserved.
B) lepton number is not conserved.
C) charge is not conserved.
D) energy is not conserved.
E) This reaction IS possible.
Answer: B
Var: 1

13) The decay n p+ + e- + does not occur because it would violate conservation of
A) baryon number.
B) lepton number.
C) charge.
D) energy.
Answer: B
Var: 1

14) What is the quark composition of the proton?

A) u d
B) uud
C) udd
D) u
E) u d
Answer: B
Var: 1

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15) Composite particles that are composed of a quark and antiquark pair are called
A) leptons.
B) hadrons.
C) mesons.
D) nucleons.
E) baryons.
Answer: C
Var: 1

16) Composite particles that are composed of three quarks are called
A) leptons.
B) hadrons.
C) mesons.
D) bosons.
E) baryons.
Answer: E
Var: 1

17) Which of the following particles are made up of quarks? (There may be more than one
correct choice.)
A) nucleons
B) hadrons
C) neutrinos
D) muons
E) mesons
Answer: A, B, E
Var: 1

18) Which of the following particles is NOT made up of quarks? (There may be more than one
correct choice.)
A) proton
B) neutron
C) electron
D) -meson
E) neutrino
Answer: C, E
Var: 1

19) Given that the reaction n + + p can occur and that the quark composition of the neutron
is udd and that of the proton is uud, what must be the quark composition of the + meson?
A) u
B) d
C) d
D) u
E) d
Answer: D
Var: 1
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20) The cosmic background radiation corresponds to a temperature of about

A) 1.4 K.
B) 2.7 K.
C) 3.8 K.
D) 4.9 K.
E) 5.5 K.
Answer: B
Var: 1

39.2 Problems
1) Suppose you were to try to create a proton-antiproton pair by annihilation of two very highenergy gamma rays of the same wavelength heading toward each other. The proton and the antiproton have the same masses, but opposite charges. What would be the minimum energy needed
for each photon? (e = 1.60 10-19 C, mproton = 1.67 10-27 kg, c = 3.00 108 m/s)
A) 1.022 MeV
B) 12.2 MeV
C) 1880 MeV
D) 939 MeV
E) 223 MeV
Answer: D
Var: 1

2) A neutral 0 (having mass 0.642 u) that is at rest decays into two gamma ray photons. What is
the energy in MeV of each photon? (1 u = 931.5 MeV/c2)
A) 299 MeV
B) 597 MeV
C) 1190 MeV
D) 199 MeV
E) 149 MeV
Answer: A
Var: 1

3) Is the decay + p + + allowed?

A) Yes, because it conserves energy.
B) No, because charge is not conserved.
C) No, because mass is created.
D) No, because lepton number is not conserved.
Answer: B
Var: 1

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4) Is the decay 0 + + v allowed?

A) Yes, because it conserves energy.
B) No, because charge is not conserved.
C) No, because mass is created.
D) No, because lepton number is not conserved.
Answer: B
Var: 1

5) Which one of the following decays CAN occur?

A) + + + v
B) p + n p + p +
C) K+ 0
D) - e- + ve + v
E) K+ 20
Answer: A
Var: 1

6) Which one of the following processes CANNOT occur?

A) + + + v
B) 0 2
C) + + p K+ + +
D) - + p n +
E) - - + p
Answer: E
Var: 1

7) How many quarks are in a deuteron, 2H?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 6
Answer: E
Var: 1

8) Consider the negative pion, -.

(a) What combination of up and down quarks makes up this particle?
(b) Is the - a baryon or a meson?
(c) Is the - a lepton or a hadron?
Answer: (a) d (b) meson (c) hadron
Var: 1

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9) If a galaxy is receding from us at 0.10c. Use Hubble's law to estimate the distance to this
galaxy if the Hubble constant is 22 km/s per million light-years. (c = 3.00 108 m/s, 1 ly =
9.461 1015 m, 1 y = 3.156 107 s)
A) 1.4 109 ly
B) 6.6 105 ly
C) 6.6 105 Mly
D) 2.2 Mly
E) 1.4 107 Mly
Answer: A
Var: 1

10) If the Hubble constant is 25 km/s per million light-years, use it to estimate the age of the
universe? (c = 3.00 108 m/s, 1 ly = 9.461 1015 m, 1 y = 3.156 107 s)
A) 10 Gy
B) 12 Gy
C) 15 Gy
D) 20 Gy
E) 25 Gy
Answer: B
Var: 1

11) If a galaxy is moving away from us at 1.0% of the speed of light, use Hubble's law to
estimate how far away it is from us if the Hubble constant is 22 km/s per million light-years. (c =
3.00 108 m/s, 1 ly = 9.461 1015 m, 1 y = 3.156 107 s)
A) 14 ly
B) 140 ly
C) 140 thousand ly
D) 140 million ly
E) 140 billion ly
Answer: D
Var: 1

12) Estimate the speed of a galaxy away from us if it is 10 billion light-years from us and if the
Hubble constant is 22 km/s per million light-years. (c = 3.00 108 m/s, 1 ly = 9.461 1015 m, 1
y = 3.156 107 s)
A) 0.1c
B) 0.3c
C) 0.5c
D) 0.7c
E) 0.9c
Answer: D
Var: 1

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13) A giant star in another galaxy exploded 67 million years ago, forming a supernova. The event
is observed by an astronomer on Earth. Estimate the speed at which the supernova (and its
galaxy) recedes from Earth if the Hubble constant is 22 km/s per million light-years. (c = 3.00
108 m/s, 1 ly = 9.461 1015 m, 1 y = 3.156 107 s)
A) 1200 km/s
B) 670 km/s
C) 1500 km/s
D) 2700 km/s
E) 4700 km/s
Answer: C
Var: 1

14) A galaxy is observed receding from Earth with a speed of 2800 km/s. If the Hubble constant
is 22 km/s per million light-years, estimate how many years ago the light that we presently see
from the galaxy actually left the galaxy. (c = 3.00 108 m/s, 1 ly = 9.461 1015 m, 1 y = 3.156
107 s)
A) 1.3 108 y
B) 4.2 108 y
C) 4.2 107 y
D) 1.4 107 y
E) 4.2 106 y
Answer: A
Var: 1

15) The background microwave radiation, discovered in 1965 by Penzias and Wilson, has its
peak intensity at a wavelength of 1.06 mm. What blackbody temperature does this wavelength
imply for the universe? ( = 5.670 10-8 W/m2 K4, Wien displacement law constant is 2.90
10-3 m K)
A) 2.7C
B) -270C
C) 0.0027 K
D) 0.00C
E) -2.7C
Answer: B
Var: 1

16) Suppose that the Hubble constant had the value 35.0 km/s per million light-years. (1 y =
3.156 107 s, mH mproton = 1.67 10-27 kg, c = 3.00 108 m/s, 1 light-year = 9.461 1015
m, G = 6.67 10-11 N m2/kg2)
(a) What would be the maximum density the universe could have that would still allow it to
expand forever?
(b) Under the conditions of part (a), how many hydrogen atoms would we expect to find, on the
average, in a volume of space measuring 3.00 m by 8.00 m by 8.00 m?
Answer: (a) 2.45 10-26 kg/m3 (b) 2820 atoms
Var: 1
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