Classification of Particles (AQA A Level Physics)

Exam Questions

3 hours44 questions
11 mark

Different particles can be classified into hadrons, leptons, mesons and baryons.

q1_classification-of-particles_aqa-as-physics-mcq

Which row shows the correct classification of particles?

 

Hadrons

Baryons

Leptons

Mesons

A

1

2

3

4

B

2

4

1

3

C

4

3

2

1

D

3

1

4

2

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    21 mark

    Which of the following is the correct quark composition of a proton?

    • sss

    • uud

    • ddd

    • uds

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    31 mark

    Which of the following particles has a baryon number of zero?

    • antineutron

    • neutron

    • kaon

    • proton

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    41 mark

    Which one of these decays is never seen experimentally?

    • muons into electrons

    • neutrons into protons

    • kaons into pions

    • electrons into electron neutrinos

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    51 mark

    Which of the following are the charge, strangeness and baryon numbers of an anti-strange quark?

     

    Baryon number, B

    Strangeness, S

    Charge, Q

    A

     plus 1 third

    –1

    negative 1 third

    B

    –1

    +1

    plus 1 third

    C

    negative 1 third

    +1

    plus 1 third

    D

    +1

    –1

    negative 1 third

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      61 mark

      Beta-minus decay can be represented in terms of fundamental particles

      d rightwards arrow u plus e to the power of minus plus X

      What type of particle is particle X?

      • quark

      • photon

      • lepton

      • hadron

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      71 mark

      In which of these interactions is strangeness not conserved?

      • strong

      • weak

      • electromagnetic

      • gravitational

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      81 mark

      What is a meson?

      • a type of lepton

      • a particle composed of three quarks

      • the antiparticle of the electron

      • a particle composed of a quark and an antiquark

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      91 mark

      Which of the following is a hadron of zero charge?

      • proton

      • photon

      • neutron

      • neutrino 

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      101 mark

      What are the numbers of hadrons, baryons and mesons in an atom of F presubscript 9 presuperscript 19?

       

      hadrons

      baryons

      mesons

      A

      19

      9

      9

      B

      19

      10

      10

      C

      19

      19

      0

      D

      28

      19

      0

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        11 mark

        In a nucleus of Tritium,blank subscript 1 superscript 3 H, how many ‘up’ quarks are there?

        • 3

        • 4

        • 5

        • 6

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        21 mark

        Which of the following statements is not correct?

        • every baryon consists of three quarks or three antiquarks

        • the strangeness of a strange quark is +1

        • leptons do not interact with the strong force

        • the most stable baryon is the proton

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        31 mark

        The K+ meson has a strangeness of +1.

        What is the quark structure for a K+ meson?

        • u with minus on top s

        • u d with minus on top

        • u s with minus on top

        • u with minus on top d

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        41 mark

        Which of the following statements is true?

        • pions decay into kaons

        • electrons decay into muons

        • hadrons do not interact with the strong force

        • strange particles decay through the weak interaction

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        51 mark

        A protactinium nucleus decays into a nucleus of Th–230, a beta-plus particle and particle X.

         scriptbase P a end scriptbase presubscript 230 presuperscript 91 rightwards arrow scriptbase T h end scriptbase presubscript 230 presuperscript 90 plus e presubscript 0 presuperscript plus 1 end presuperscript plus X

        What is a property of particle X?

        • it is an antiparticle

        • it has a lepton number of +1

        • it experiences the strong interaction

        • it is positively charged

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        61 mark

        Which row in the table gives the correct quark combination for the particle?

         

        particle

        category

        quark combination

        A

        proton

        baryon

        u d d

        B

        positive pion

        meson

        u d with bar on top

        C

        neutron

        meson

        u d d

        D

        negative pion

        meson

        u d with bar on top

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          71 mark

          A possible decay of the K+ is shown in the following equation

          K to the power of plus rightwards arrow pi to the power of plus plus X 

          What could particle X be?

          • electron

          • negative pion

          • neutrino

          • neutral pion

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          81 mark

          Some particles are made up of a combination of three quarks.

          Which particle would not have a charge of either +1.6 × 10–19 C or zero?

          • down, down, down

          • up, up, down

          • up, strange, strange

          • up, down, down

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          91 mark

          The composition of four different hadrons are shown in the diagram below.

          One of the hadrons is a Σ0 particle. It has a charge of 0, and a strangeness of –1.

          Which of the following hadrons, A to D, could the Σ0 particle be?

          q19_classification-of-particles_aqa-as-physics-mcq

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            101 mark

            Which of the following rows, A to D, correctly describes the properties of strange particles and strangeness?

             

            Created in particle-anti-particle pairs

            In strong interactions

            In weak interactions

            A

            Never

            Conserved

            Not conserved

            B

            Always

            Not conserved

            Can change by +1, 0, -1

            C

            Never

            Not conserved

            Can change by +1, 0, -1

            D

            Always

            Conserved

            Not conserved

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              11 mark

              The decay of a neutral kaon K to the power of 0 is given by the equation

                K to the power of 0 space rightwards arrow space X space plus space Y space plus space v with bar on top subscript e

              What must particles X and Y be?

              • pi to the power of plus space a n d space e to the power of minus

              • pi to the power of minus space a n d space e to the power of plus

              • mu to the power of plus space a n d space e to the power of minus

              • pi to the power of plus space a n d space mu to the power of minus

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              21 mark

              A pion can decay to produce two leptons.

              Which of the following reactions is possible?

              • pi to the power of 0 space rightwards arrow space mu to the power of plus space plus space nu subscript e

              • pi to the power of 0 space rightwards arrow space pi to the power of plus space plus space mu to the power of minus

              • pi to the power of plus space rightwards arrow space e to the power of plus space plus space nu subscript mu

              • pi to the power of plus space rightwards arrow space mu to the power of plus space plus space nu subscript mu

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              31 mark

              In an arrangement known as a ‘baryon decuplet’, baryons are organised along horizontal and diagonal axes, as shown in the diagram below.

              q23_classification-of-particles_aqa-as-physics-mcq

              What quantities are depicted on the horizontal and diagonal axes?

               

              Horizontal

              Diagonal

              A

              Charge, Q

              Strangeness, S

              B

              Baryon number, B

              Charge, Q

              C

              Strangeness, S

              Charge, Q

              D

              Charge, Q

              Baryon number, B

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                41 mark

                The sum for blank of to the power of 0 baryon, composed of the quark combination u d s, is produced through the strong interaction between a pi to the power of plus meson and a neutron.

                 pi to the power of plus space plus space n space rightwards arrow space sum for blank of to the power of 0 space plus space X

                What is the quark composition of particle X?

                • u s with minus on top

                • u u d

                • u d with minus on top

                • u u s

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                51 mark

                Particles can be organised in a plot known as the ‘eightfold way’, as shown in the diagram below. Plotting the particles in this way helps scientists to identify symmetries between different particles.

                Six baryons and their quark compositions are shown at the vertices of a hexagon. The centre of the hexagon represents two baryons with the same quark composition.

                q25_classification-of-particles_aqa-as-physics-mcq

                Vertices are linked by horizontal axes representing strangeness, S, and diagonal axes representing charge, q. Some of the quark compositions are missing from the diagram.

                What are the quark compositions of Σ+, Σ, Ξ0 and Ξ?

                 

                Σ+

                Σ

                Ξ0

                Ξ

                A

                 u u s

                 d d s

                 u d s

                 d s s

                B

                 u u d

                 d s s

                 u d d

                 d d d

                C

                 u u s

                 d d s

                 u s s

                 d s s

                D

                 u u d

                 d d d

                 u s s

                 d d s

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                  61 mark

                  In a reaction, four meson particles were made. Two of them were electrically neutral; while of the other two, one had a positive charge and the other had a strangeness of +1.

                  Three of the quark combinations were as follows: u d with bar on topu u with bar on topd s with bar on top

                  Which of the following could not be the combination of the last particle?

                  • s u with bar on top

                  • d d with bar on top

                  • u s with bar on top

                  • s s with bar on top

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                  71 mark

                  The K is an example of a meson with strangeness –1.

                  Which of the following decays of the K particle is most likely?

                  • pi to the power of plus plus pi to the power of minus plus e to the power of minus

                  • pi to the power of 0 plus pi to the power of minus plus n

                  • pi to the power of minus plus e to the power of minus plus space v with bar on top subscript e

                  • pi to the power of 0 plus mu to the power of minus plus v with bar on top subscript mu

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                  81 mark

                  A collision between two baryons occurs creating two mesons, this is shown below:

                  uud plus space uud with bar on top space rightwards arrow straight u straight d with bar on top space plus space straight u with bar on top straight d 

                  1 space space space plus space space space 2 space space space rightwards arrow space space space 3 space space space plus space space 4 

                  What are the particles involved in this reaction?

                   

                  1

                  2

                  3

                  4

                  A

                  neutron

                  antineutron

                   K to the power of plus

                   K to the power of minus

                  B

                  proton

                  antiproton

                   pi to the power of plus

                   pi to the power of minus

                  C

                  neutron

                  antineutron

                   pi to the power of minus

                   pi to the power of plus

                  D

                  proton

                  antiproton

                   K to the power of minus

                   K to the power of plus

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                    91 mark

                    Which row in the table, A to D, includes a valid particle for every column?

                     

                    Stable

                    Interacts via weak force

                    Interacts via electromagnetic force

                    Interacts via strong force

                    A

                    antiproton

                    muon

                    proton

                    neutrino

                    B

                    proton

                    electron

                    muon

                    neutron

                    C

                    electron

                    proton

                    neutron

                    proton

                    D

                    kaon

                    neutron

                    electron

                    pion

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                      101 mark

                      A collision between particles creates 4 mesons. Two of the mesons are determined to have the quark combinations s u with bar on top and d s with bar on top

                      The overall charge and strangeness of the 4 mesons is zero.

                      What are possible quark combinations of the other two mesons?

                      • d u with bar on top space a n d space s d with bar on top

                      • u s with bar on top space a n d space u d with bar on top

                      • s s with bar on top space a n d space u d with bar on top

                      • u s with bar on top space a n d space s s with bar on top

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