Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2014

Last exams 2024

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The Structure of Matter (DP IB Physics: SL)

Exam Questions

4 hours45 questions
1
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1 mark

Using conservation of charge, determine which of the following is the correct quark composition of a proton?

  • sss

  • uud

  • ddd

  • uds

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2
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1 mark

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

  • antineutron

  • neutron

  • kaon

  • proton

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3
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1 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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4
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1 mark

Which of the following is a meson?

  • u d d

  • stack u d s with bar on top

  • nu subscript e

  • u d with bar on top

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5
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Which of the following was not an observation made by the Rutherford-Geiger-Marsden experiment?

  • Most of the α-particles went straight through the foil

  • Some α-particles deflected through small angles of less than 10°

  • Only a small number of α-particles deflected straight back at angles greater than 90°

  • The gold foil emits alpha particles

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6
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Which of the following is a correct statement about Feynman diagrams?

  • The vertical axis represents time

  • Gauge bosons are represented by a wavy/dashed line, or a helix

  • Only three particles may go into or out of a vertex

  • Particle lines can cross over

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7
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1 mark

Which of the following is not conserved during weak interactions?

  • Baryon number

  • Lepton number

  • Strangeness

  • Charge

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8
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1 mark

The Feynman diagram shows a particle interaction involving a W+ boson.

7-3-atomic-nuclear--particle-physics-sl-mcqs-easy-q8-question

Which two particles are the products of the interaction?

  • Q and S

  • P and Q

  • P and S

  • R and S

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9
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1 mark

The standard model classifies particles into hadrons, leptons, mesons and baryons. The diagram below shows some examples of these types of particles.

7-3-atomic-nuclear--particle-physics-sl-mcqs-easy-q9-question-1

Which row shows the correct position of each type of particle in the diagram?

 

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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    10
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    1 mark

    Which answer is not a feature of the strong nuclear force?

    • The strong nuclear force is repulsive at nucleon separations closer than around 0.5 fm

    • The strong nuclear force is attractive up to around 3.0 fm

    • The strong nuclear force has an infinite range

    • The strong nuclear force reaches a maximum attractive value at around 1.0 fm

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    11 mark

    The decay of a capital sigma to the power of plus baryon is given by the equation

     capital sigma to the power of plus rightwards arrow X plus p

    Which row, A to D in the table, correctly identifies the charge, baryon number and lepton number of particle X?

     

    Charge

    Baryon number

    Lepton number

    A.

    –1

    0

    0

    B.

    0

    0

    0

    C.

    1

    1

    0

    D.

    0

    –1

    1

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      21 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 top enclose d
      C. neutron meson u d d
      D. negative pion meson u top enclose d

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        31 mark

        This Feynman diagram shows particles interacting via a Wboson.

        q13_the-structure-of-matter_ib-sl-physics-mcq

        Which of the following particle choices are correct?

         

        1

        2

        3

        4

        A.

        proton

        neutron

        electron neutrino

        β particle

        B.

        neutron

        proton

        electron neutrino

        β particle

        C.

        up quark

        down quark

        β particle

        anti–electron neutrino

        D.

        down quark

        up quark

        anti–electron neutrino

        β particle

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          41 mark

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

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

          What must particles X and Y be?

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

          • pi minus and e to the power of plus

          • mu to the power of plus and e to the power of minus

          • pi to the power of plus and mu to the power of minus

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          51 mark

          A pion can decay to produce two leptons.

          Which of the following reactions is possible?

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

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

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

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

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          61 mark

          This Feynman diagram shows particles interacting leading to the production of a β+ particle.

          q16_the-structure-of-matter_ib-sl-physics-mcq

          Which of the following particle choices are correct?

           

          1

          2

          3

          4

          A.

          proton

          neutrino

          W+  boson

          neutron

          B.

          up quark

          antineutrino

          W+   boson

          down quark

          C.

          proton

          neutrino

          W-   boson

          neutron

          D.

          up quark

          antineutrino

           W-  boson

          down quark

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            71 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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              81 mark

              The following Feynman diagram shows the baryons and leptons in a nuclear decay.

              q18_the-structure-of-matter_ib-sl-physics-mcq

              Which of the four Feynman diagrams, A to D, is physically equivalent to the diagram given for this decay?

              q18-2_the-structure-of-matter_ib-sl-physics-mcq

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                91 mark

                In the Geiger–Marsden experiment, alpha particles are used to investigate scattering by gold atoms.

                What do the results of the experiment provide evidence for?

                • charge is distributed evenly throughout an atom

                • the nucleus is comprised of protons and neutrons

                • alpha particles have discrete amounts of kinetic energy

                • most of the mass and all of the positive charge of an atom is contained in a small volume

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                101 mark

                Which of the following statements correctly describes why quarks were first hypothesised?

                • To account for patterns in properties of elementary particles

                • To describe nuclear emission and absorption spectra

                • To account for the missing energy and momentum in beta decay

                • To explain the existence of isotopes

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                1
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                1 mark

                The diagram is an example of a ‘baryon decuplet’. Baryons are organised along horizontal and diagonal axes, as shown in the diagram below.

                7-3-sl-mcq-hard-q1-phy

                What is the quark structure of the straight capital xi to the power of asterisk times minus end exponent bayron?

                • u with bar on top s

                • u s s

                • d s s

                • u d s

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                2
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                1 mark

                A collision between particles creates 4 mesons:

                s u with bar on top space plus space d s with bar on top space plus space X space plus space Y

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

                What are possible quark combinations for X and Y?

                 

                X

                Y

                A

                d u with bar on top s d with bar on top

                B

                u s with bar on top u d with bar on top

                C

                s s with bar on top u d with bar on top

                D

                u s with bar on top s s with bar on top

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                  3
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                  1 mark

                  The capital sigma to the power of 0 baryon has strangeness of −1 and 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 capital sigma to the power of 0 space plus space X

                  What is the quark composition of particle X?

                  • u s with bar on top

                  • u u d

                  • u d with bar on top

                  • u u s

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                  4
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                  1 mark

                  Particles can be organised in a plot known as the ‘eightfold way’, as shown in the diagram below. 

                  7-3-sl-mcq-hard-q4-phy

                  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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                    5
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                    1 mark

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

                    Which of the following combinations of particles could the K particle decay to?

                    • 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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                    6
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                    1 mark

                    Which of the four hadrons shown could be Ξ0?

                    7-3-sl-mcq-hard-q6-phy

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                      7
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                      1 mark

                      None of the following decay equations for baryons are permitted. 

                      Equation 1: n rightwards arrow p plus ⅇ to the power of minus plus v subscript e

                      Equation 2: capital delta to the power of plus rightwards arrow pi to the power of plus plus pi to the power of 0

                      Equation 3:  p rightwards arrow n plus e to the power of minus plus space v subscript e

                      Equation 4: identical to to the power of 0 rightwards arrow p plus v with bar on top plus pi to the power of 0

                      Which property is not conserved in each equation?

                       

                      Equation 1

                      Equation 2

                      Equation 3

                      Equation 4

                      A

                      charge

                      baryon number

                      charge and lepton number

                      baryon number

                      B

                      lepton number

                      baryon number

                      charge and lepton number

                      charge and lepton number

                      C

                      baryon number

                      lepton number

                      baryon number

                      lepton number and baryon number

                      D

                      lepton number

                      charge

                      charge

                      charge

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                        8
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                        1 mark

                        The charmed sigma particle, straight capital sigma subscript straight c superscript plus plus end superscript decays through the following equation:

                        straight capital sigma subscript straight c superscript plus plus end superscript rightwards arrow straight capital lambda subscript straight c superscript plus plus straight pi to the power of plus

                        Both straight capital sigma subscript straight c superscript plus plus end superscript and straight capital lambda subscript straight c superscript plus contain one charm quark and have strangeness of 0.

                        Which of the following could be the quark structure of the straight capital sigma subscript straight c superscript plus plus end superscript and the straight capital lambda subscript straight c superscript plus?

                         

                        bold capital sigma subscript bold c superscript bold plus bold plus end superscript

                        bold capital lambda subscript bold c superscript bold plus

                        A

                        d d c u with bar on top c

                        B

                        u d c d s c

                        C

                        u u c u d c

                        D

                        u d c u u c

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                          9
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                          1 mark

                          The following Feynman diagram shows the baryons and leptons in a nuclear decay

                          7-3-sl-mcq-hard-q9-phy

                          Which of the four Feynman diagrams, A to D, is physically equivalent to the diagram given for this decay?

                          7-3-sl-mcq-hard-q9_2-phy

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                            10
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                            1 mark

                            The Higgs Boson was discovered at CERN in 2012. It is not stable and decays into other particles.

                            Which of the following could not be a possible decay pathway for the Higgs Boson?

                            • W to the power of plus plus W to the power of minus

                            • p plus e to the power of minus plus nu subscript e

                            • gamma gamma

                            • b b with bar on top

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