Physics · Pearson Edexcel 9PH0 · Topic 8

Nuclear and particle physics

The nuclear atom, particle accelerators and detectors, and the standard model of particles.

  • 14 sub-topics
  • Taught in Year 13
  • 100 practice questions
  • 14 animated lessons
Practice questions (100) Lessons Worksheets All Edexcel Physics topics

What the specification says

Every sub-topic Pearson Edexcel can examine in this topic, with its reference number from the official specification. The Y12 and Y13 tags show when each sub-topic is usually taught.

  1. 130Nucleon number and proton numberY13
  2. 131Alpha particle scatteringY13
  3. 132Thermionic emission and accelerating electronsY13
  4. 133Linear accelerators, cyclotrons and detectorsY13
  5. 134Charged particles in a magnetic field, r = p/BQY13
  6. 135Conservation laws in particle interactionsY13
  7. 136High energies to probe nucleon structureY13
  8. 137Pair creation and annihilationY13
  9. 138MeV, GeV and MeV/c²Y13
  10. 139Relativistic increase in particle lifetimeY13
  11. 140The standard quark–lepton modelY13
  12. 141AntiparticlesY13
  13. 142Conservation of charge, baryon number and lepton numberY13
  14. 143Particle equationsY13

Try 3 questions

Easy, medium and hard questions from this topic, each with a worked solutions and the mark for every step. All 100 questions in this topic, free, no account needed.

Nuclear and particle physics

Not needed for Year 12Easy

MeV, GeV and MeV/c² · Year 13 · 3 marks

The mass of a proton is 1.67×10−271.67 \times 10^{-27} kg.
  1. (a)
    Calculate its rest energy in MeV.
    (2)
  2. (b)
    State its mass in MeV/c².
    (1)

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Part (a)2 marks

  1. E=mc2E = mc^2
  2. E=939 MeVE = 939\ \mathrm{MeV}

Part (b)1 mark

  1. 939939 MeV/c².

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Nuclear and particle physics

Not needed for Year 12Medium

Accelerating electrons · Year 13 · 4 marks

Electrons are released from a heated filament and accelerated through a p.d. of 4500 V.
  1. (a)
    Explain why electrons are released from the heated filament.
    (1)
  2. (b)
    Calculate the kinetic energy gained, and the final speed of the electrons.
    (3)

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Part (a)1 mark

  1. Thermionic emission: some free electrons gain enough energy to escape the metal surface.

Part (b)3 marks

  1. Ek=eVE_k = eV
  2. EkE_k=7.20×10−16 J{}= 7.20 \times 10^{-16}\ \mathrm{J}
  3. vv=3.98×107 m s−1{}= 3.98 \times 10^{7}\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}

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Nuclear and particle physics

Not needed for Year 12Hard

Charged particles in a magnetic field · Year 13 · 4 marks

A proton of kinetic energy 2 MeV moves perpendicular to a magnetic field of 0.5 T.
  1. (a)
    Calculate the momentum of the proton.
    (2)
  2. (b)
    Calculate the radius of its path.
    (2)

Check your answers before you look at the solution

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Part (a)2 marks

  1. EkE_k=2×106×1.60×10−19{}= 2 \times 10^6 \times 1.60 \times 10^{-19}
  2. pp=3.27×10−20 kg m s−1{}= 3.27 \times 10^{-20}\ \mathrm{kg\,m\,s^{-1}}

Part (b)2 marks

  1. r=pBQr = \frac{p}{BQ}
  2. r=0.409 mr = 0.409\ \mathrm{m}

Total4

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