Fundamental Particles (Cambridge (CIE) A Level Physics)

Carbon–10 is an isotope that decays to an isotope of boron (symbol ) by the emission of a β⁺ particle. 

(i) Complete the nuclear equation for this decay, including the proton and nucleon numbers of all the particles involved.

[3] 

(ii) During the decay, a quark in the carbon-10 nucleus changes into a different type. 

State the change of quark that occurs.

[1]

State the two leptons in this decay.

State and explain why a hadron with charge –3e cannot exist. 

e is the elementary charge.

State the possible quark combination for a hadron of charge +2e.

State the quark composition of an alpha particle.

Use the quark model to show that the charge on the anti-neutron is 0.

A sigma baryon Σ is a hadron that consists of an up (u) quark, a down (d) quark and a strange (s) quark. 

State the quark composition of Σ⁺ , Σ⁰ and Σ^– .

Explain why a baryon with the quark composition cannot exist.

State the number of 'up' quarks in the nucleus of .

The  particle has a quark structure .

Determine 

(i) the classification of the  particle,

[1]

(ii) the charge on the particle.

[1]

Using the quark model, show that the magnitude of the charge of a proton is equal to the charge of an electron. 

Using the quark model for β⁺ decay, show that charge is conserved in this decay.