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Nuclear and Particle Physics MCQs — Physics (page 13)

330 multiple-choice questions on Nuclear and Particle Physics from Physics, each with the correct answer and, where available, a teacher's explanation. Read through them to revise the chapter, then practise the same questions one by one to test yourself.

301. Theories that aim to unite all four fundamental forces are called:

  1. Ohm's laws
  2. Newton's laws
  3. theories of everything (grand unified theories)
  4. classical theories

Answer: C) theories of everything (grand unified theories)

Explanation: Unification. SLO P-11-F-22 · Understanding

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302. Evidence for quarks inside protons came from:

  1. Millikan's oil-drop experiment
  2. the photoelectric effect
  3. Rutherford's gold-foil experiment
  4. deep inelastic scattering of high-energy electrons

Answer: D) deep inelastic scattering of high-energy electrons

Explanation: Electrons scattered off point-like constituents. SLO P-11-F-13 · Understanding

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303. Why do we exist at all, according to this mystery?

  1. because antimatter is unstable
  2. because of gravity alone
  3. because a tiny excess of matter survived annihilation in the early universe
  4. because matter is heavier

Answer: C) because a tiny excess of matter survived annihilation in the early universe

Explanation: Origin of matter. SLO P-11-F-27 · Understanding

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304. In beta^+ decay, the particles emitted are:

  1. a proton and a neutrino
  2. a positron and an antineutrino
  3. a positron and an electron neutrino
  4. an electron and an antineutrino

Answer: C) a positron and an electron neutrino

Explanation: p to n + e^+ + nue. SLO P-11-F-10 · Knowledge

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305. If a proton's up quarks were swapped for down quarks and vice versa (uud to ddu), the particle would be:

  1. an antiproton
  2. a neutron
  3. an electron
  4. a pion

Answer: B) a neutron

Explanation: udd. SLO P-11-F-20 · Understanding

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306. A nucleus with too many protons may undergo:

  1. gamma decay only
  2. fusion
  3. beta^+ decay (u to d)
  4. beta^- decay

Answer: C) beta^+ decay (u to d)

Explanation: Converts a proton into a neutron. SLO P-11-F-15 · Knowledge

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307. The baryon number of a proton is:

  1. 0
  2. +1
  3. -1
  4. +3

Answer: B) +1

Explanation: Each quark has + 13. SLO P-11-F-20 · Understanding

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308. String theory requires:

  1. only one dimension
  2. extra spatial dimensions beyond the familiar three
  3. no time dimension
  4. fewer than three dimensions

Answer: B) extra spatial dimensions beyond the familiar three

Explanation: e.g. 10 or 11 dimensions. SLO P-11-F-22 · Understanding

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309. The proton number Z is also called the:

  1. atomic number
  2. mass number
  3. nucleon number
  4. neutron number

Answer: A) atomic number

Explanation: Number of protons. SLO P-11-F-07 · Knowledge

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310. A particle made of uds is a:

  1. lepton
  2. photon
  3. baryon
  4. meson

Answer: C) baryon

Explanation: Three quarks (lambda). SLO P-11-F-14 · Knowledge

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311. Detectors in space such as AMS-02 search for:

  1. water
  2. radio stations
  3. sound waves
  4. antimatter in cosmic rays

Answer: D) antimatter in cosmic rays

Explanation: Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. SLO P-11-F-26 · Knowledge

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312. The rest energy of an antiproton is:

  1. twice 938 MeV
  2. 0.511 MeV
  3. zero
  4. 938 MeV, the same as a proton

Answer: D) 938 MeV, the same as a proton

Explanation: Same mass. SLO P-11-F-25 · Understanding

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313. Mesons are generally:

  1. unstable and short-lived
  2. massless
  3. completely stable
  4. fundamental

Answer: A) unstable and short-lived

Explanation: They decay quickly. SLO P-11-F-14 · Knowledge

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314. An electron is fundamental, which means it:

  1. is a composite of neutrinos
  2. has no known internal structure
  3. is made of a quark and antiquark
  4. is made of three quarks

Answer: B) has no known internal structure

Explanation: Point-like. SLO P-11-F-16 · Knowledge

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315. An antiparticle has:

  1. opposite mass and the same charge
  2. double the mass
  3. no mass
  4. the same mass but opposite charge to its particle

Answer: D) the same mass but opposite charge to its particle

Explanation: e.g. positron vs electron. SLO P-11-F-09 · Understanding

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316. The 'quantum vacuum' in field theory is:

  1. a solid
  2. filled with air
  3. not empty, but full of fluctuating fields
  4. completely empty

Answer: C) not empty, but full of fluctuating fields

Explanation: Vacuum fluctuations. SLO P-11-F-22 · Understanding

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317. A nucleus of ^73 Li contains how many down quarks?

  1. 7
  2. 11
  3. 4
  4. 10

Answer: B) 11

Explanation: 3 × 1 + 4 × 2 = 11. SLO P-11-F-20 · Understanding

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318. A particle made of cbarc (charm–anticharm) is:

  1. a baryon
  2. a lepton
  3. a meson
  4. a quark

Answer: C) a meson

Explanation: J/ψ meson. SLO P-11-F-21 · Knowledge

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319. Beta particles are stopped by:

  1. nothing
  2. only thick lead
  3. a sheet of paper
  4. a few millimetres of aluminium

Answer: D) a few millimetres of aluminium

Explanation: Moderate penetration. SLO P-11-F-08 · Understanding

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320. A nucleus ^21084 Po emits an alpha particle. The daughter nucleus has nucleon number A and proton number Z:

  1. A = 206, Z = 82
  2. A = 210, Z = 80
  3. A = 208, Z = 83
  4. A = 210, Z = 84

Answer: A) A = 206, Z = 82

Explanation: Nucleon number and charge are conserved: daughter ^20682X. SLO P-11-F-07 · Knowledge

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321. When an electron meets a positron:

  1. they bounce off
  2. nothing happens
  3. they form a proton
  4. they annihilate, producing gamma-ray photons

Answer: D) they annihilate, producing gamma-ray photons

Explanation: Mass → energy. SLO P-11-F-09 · Understanding

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322. The average energy of beta particles is about:

  1. one third of the maximum energy
  2. twice the maximum
  3. equal to the maximum
  4. zero

Answer: A) one third of the maximum energy

Explanation: Typical spectrum shape. SLO P-11-F-11 · Understanding

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323. The discovery of the Higgs boson completed the:

  1. laws of thermodynamics
  2. periodic table
  3. Standard Model of particle physics
  4. theory of evolution

Answer: C) Standard Model of particle physics

Explanation: Last predicted particle found. SLO P-11-F-18 · Knowledge

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324. Which is a lepton?

  1. muon
  2. pion
  3. proton
  4. neutron

Answer: A) muon

Explanation: Electron, muon, tau and their neutrinos. SLO P-11-F-16 · Knowledge

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325. Which of these is an antibaryon?

  1. kaon
  2. antineutron
  3. pion
  4. positron

Answer: B) antineutron

Explanation: Three antiquarks. SLO P-11-F-21 · Knowledge

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