FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES

1) (a) State the class of particles which includes protons and neutrons.
(b) A proton inside a nucleus decays into a neutron. Write an equation to represent this decay.
(c) State the composition of a proton in terms of quarks.
(d) Describe the decay of the proton in (b) in terms of quarks.
2) The type of decay for a number of caesium isotopes is shown in the table:
128
55
+

Isotope
Type of decay

130
55
+

136
55

138
55

(i) Explain the term isotope.

(ii) State the interaction between quarks that gives rise to decay.
(iii) Describe the structure of a neutron in terms of quarks.
(iv) Describe decay in terms of the simple quark model.
(v) State two quantities that are conserved in a decay.
(vi) State the fundamental particles produced during the decay of 130
55 .
(viii) State the number of protons in the nuclei produced during the decay of

130
55 .

3) The table shows some of the isotopes of phosphorus and, where they are unstable, the type
of decay.
29
30
31
32
33
Isotope
15
15
15
15
15
+
+

Type of decay
Stable

(i) State the difference between each of the isotopes shown in the table.
(ii) Describe the structure of the proton in terms of up (u) and down (d) quarks.
(iii) Describe what happens in a beta-plus ( + ) decay using a quark model.
(iv) State two quantities conserved in beta decay.
(v) Examine the table of isotopes in the table and suggest what determines whether an isotope
emits + or .
4) Particle production and annihilation are subject to conservation laws. Two of these laws
are conservation of mass-energy and conservation of momentum.
Free neutrons are unstable. A neutron may decay to become a proton with emission of an
electron. A student represents the decay by the following equation 10 11 + `10
(a) State, by reference to conservation laws, why the students equation is not correct.
(b) Write down the correct decay equation.
2

5) Up quarks have a charge of + 3 and down quarks have a charge of 3 .

(i) State the number of each type of quark in a neutron.
(ii) Explain in terms of charge why a neutron has this composition.
(b) (i) A neutron decays by emission. Complete the following decay equation, naming all
the particles produced in the decay.
neutron (electron) + ..............................................................
(ii) State and explain the change of quarks which occurs when this decay happens.

6) (a) An unstable nucleus, , can decay by emitting a particle.

(i) What part of the atom is the same as a particle?
(ii) State the changes, if any, in A and Z when X decays.
(b) In the process of decay an anti-neutrino is also released.
(i) Give an equation for this decay.
(ii) State and explain which conservation law may be used to show that it is an anti-neutrino
rather than a neutrino that is released.
7) Alpha decay is a process by which an unstable isotope of an element may decay.
(i) State what is meant by isotopes.
(ii) Calculate the specific charge of an alpha particle, stating an appropriate unit.
(iii) Explain why the alpha particle, once outside the nucleus, is unaffected by the strong
nuclear force.
8) The equation for decay can be written as + + .
(i) For each particle, either give its quark composition or state that it is a fundamental
particle.
(ii) Write a similar equation for + decay.
(iii) Explain why these reactions can only be mediated by the weak interaction.
9) During an experiment into the energy spectrum of
particles, the following graph was produced.
(a) Label each axis of the graph with appropriate units.
(b) State the significance of the figure 0.78.
(c) Explain why this energy spectrum of the particles led
to the suggestion that an additional undetected particle must
be emitted during the nuclear decay process. State the
missing particle.
0.78
10) This question is about beta decay.
(i) Beta decay is associated with the weak nuclear force.

List two other fundamental forces of nature and give one property of each force.
(ii) Momentum and energy do not appear to be conserved in beta decay.
Explain how the existence of the neutrino resolved this.
(iii) In a beta decay, a neutron can spontaneously decay into a proton. Write down the nuclear
equation for this decay
(iv) Calculate the energy, in J, released during the decay of a neutron, stating any assumption
you made.
(v) Explain why a free proton cannot spontaneously undergo beta decay to a neutron, positron
and neutrino.
11) (a) In particle physics mass of particles is often given in units of eV/c2 where c is the
speed of light. Show that eV/c2 is a unit of mass.
(b) Particle physicists have not been able to assign a precise value to the mass of a neutrino
but estimate that it is no more than 2eV/c2. Calculate the maximum value of the mass of a
neutrino.