Résultats pour "particles"

Elementary Particles I INTRODUCTION Structure of Matter Modern physics has revealed successively deeper layers of structure in ordinary matter.

The most fundamental particles that make up matter fall into the fermion category. These fermions cannot be split into anything smaller. The particles that carry theforces acting on matter and antimatter are bosons called force carriers. Force carriers are also fundamental particles, so they cannot be split into anything smaller.These bosons carry the four basic forces in the universe: the electromagnetic, the gravitational, the strong (force that holds the nuclei of atoms together), and the wea...

Quantum Theory I INTRODUCTION Quantum Theory, in physics, description of the particles that make up matter and how they interact with each other and with energy.

electron in the same way a particle with momentum would: It bumps the electron and changes the electron’s path. The light is also affected by the collision as though itwere a particle, in that its energy and momentum changes. Momentum is a quantity that can be defined for all particles. For light particles, or photons, momentum depends on the frequency, or color, of the photon, which in turndepends on the photon’s energy. The energy of a photon is equal to a constant number, called Planck’s cons...

Neutron I INTRODUCTION Neutron, electrically neutral elementary particle that is part of the nucleus of the atom.

Beta DecayBeta decay can occur in two ways. As shown on the left, a neutron turns into a proton by emitting an antineutrino and anegatively charged beta particle. As shown on the right, a proton turns into a neutron by emitting a neutrino and apositively charged beta particle. Positive beta particles are called positrons and negative beta particles are called electrons.After the decay, the nucleus of the atom contains either one less or one more proton. Beta decay changes an atom of oneelement i...

Albert Einstein I INTRODUCTION Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German-born American physicist and Nobel laureate, best known as the creator of the special and general theories of relativity and for his bold hypothesis concerning the particle nature of light.

On the basis of the general theory of relativity, Einstein accounted for the previously unexplained variations in the orbital motion of the planets and predicted thebending of starlight in the vicinity of a massive body such as the sun. The confirmation of this latter phenomenon during an eclipse of the sun in 1919 became a mediaevent, and Einstein’s fame spread worldwide. For the rest of his life Einstein devoted considerable time to generalizing his theory even more. His last effort, the unifi...

Proton I INTRODUCTION Proton, elementary particle that carries a positive electric charge and, along with the electron and the neutron, is one of the building blocks of all atoms.

Light I INTRODUCTION Light, form of energy visible to the human eye that is radiated by moving charged particles.

simulates the action of a moving charge upon the electric field. It creates a wave that travels along the rope in a direction that is perpendicular to the initial up anddown movement. Because electromagnetic waves are transverse—that is, the vibration that creates them is perpendicular to the direction in which they travel, they are similar to waveson a rope or waves traveling on the surface of water. Unlike these waves, however, which require a rope or water, light does not need a medium, or su...

Quark I INTRODUCTION Quark, smallest known building block of matter.

Constituents of MatterMatter is composed of tiny particles called quarks. Quarks come in six varieties: up (u), down (d), charm (c), strange (s),top (t), and bottom (b). Quarks also have antimatter counterparts called antiquarks (designated by a line over the lettersymbol). Quarks combine to form larger particles called baryons, and quarks and antiquarks combine to form mesons.Protons and neutrons, particles that form the nuclei of atoms, are examples of baryons. Positive and negative kaons aree...

Radioactivity I INTRODUCTION Marie Curie Working with her husband, Pierre Curie, French physicist Marie Curie discovered the radioactive elements polonium and radium in 1898.

Rutherford when he allowed an alpha-emitting substance to decay near an evacuated thin-glass vessel. The alpha particles were able to penetrate the glass and werethen trapped in the vessel, and within a few days the presence of elemental helium was demonstrated by use of a spectroscope. Beta particles were subsequentlyshown to be electrons, and gamma rays to consist of electromagnetic radiation of the same nature as X rays but of considerably greater energy. A The Nuclear Hypothesis Rutherford...

Dark Matter - astronomy.

observed, and the measured frequency of such events has placed limits on how much dark matter can take the form of MACHOs. From the observations that have beenmade by astronomers, it is now known that MACHOs cannot be the dominant constituent of dark matter. There are simply not enough such gravitational lenses. Physicists suspect that a more exotic form of cold dark matter must exist. This form is not baryonic. Like neutrinos, this form barely interacts with ordinary matter, butis some type of...

Physics I INTRODUCTION Physics, major science, dealing with the fundamental constituents of the universe, the forces they exert on one another, and the results produced by these forces.

Starting about 1665, at the age of 23, Newton enunciated the principles of mechanics, formulated the law of universal gravitation, separated white light into colors,proposed a theory for the propagation of light, and invented differential and integral calculus. Newton's contributions covered an enormous range of naturalphenomena: He was thus able to show that not only Kepler's laws of planetary motion but also Galileo's discoveries of falling bodies follow a combination of his ownsecond law of m...

Gravitation I INTRODUCTION Gravitation, the force of attraction between all objects that tends to pull them toward one another.

precise observations possible, and Galileo was one of the first to use a telescope to study astronomy. In 1609 Galileo observed that moons orbited the planet Jupiter, afact that could not reasonably fit into an earth-centered model of the heavens. The new heliocentric theory changed scientists' views about the earth's place in the universe and opened the way for new ideas about the forces behind planetarymotion. However, it was not until the late 17th century that Isaac Newton developed a theory...

Gravitation - astronomy.

precise observations possible, and Galileo was one of the first to use a telescope to study astronomy. In 1609 Galileo observed that moons orbited the planet Jupiter, afact that could not reasonably fit into an earth-centered model of the heavens. The new heliocentric theory changed scientists' views about the earth's place in the universe and opened the way for new ideas about the forces behind planetarymotion. However, it was not until the late 17th century that Isaac Newton developed a theory...

Inorganic Chemistry - chemistry.

two electrically charged plates (positively charged top plate and negatively charged bottom plate). By measuring the difference in how fast these electron-laden oildrops fell when the metal plates were charged and uncharged, Millikan was able to calculate the total charge on each oil drop. Because each measurement was a wholenumber multiple of -1.60 × 10 -19 coulombs, Millikan concluded this was the charge carried by a single electron. Using Thomson’s electron charge-to-mass ratio, Millikan then...

Saturn - astronomy.

measurements of the magnetic field made by the Voyager space probes in the 1980s. Additional Cassini findings reported in March 2007 suggested that particles originating from geysers on the moon Enceladus may provide a partial explanation for thechange. The neutral gas particles become electrically charged and are captured by Saturn’s magnetic field, forming a disk of hot, ionized gas around the planet’sequator. The charged particles interact with the magnetic field and slow down the rotation of...

Atom - chemistry.

Atoms have several properties that help distinguish one type of atom from another and determine how atoms change under certain conditions. A Atomic Number Each element has a unique number of protons in its atoms. This number is called the atomic number (abbreviated Z). Because atoms are normally electrically neutral,the atomic number also specifies how many electrons an atom will have. The number of electrons, in turn, determines many of the chemical and physical properties ofthe atom. The ligh...

Chemistry - chemistry.

parts of oxygen by weight, which is a ratio of about 1 to 8, regardless of whether the water came from the Mississippi River or the ice of Antarctica. In other words, acompound has a definite, invariable composition, always containing the same elements in the same proportions by weight; this is the law of definite proportions. Many elements combine in more than one ratio, giving different compounds. In addition to forming water, hydrogen and oxygen also form hydrogen peroxide.Hydrogen peroxide h...

Atom I INTRODUCTION Water Molecule A water molecule consists of an oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms, which are attached at an angle of 105°.

spontaneously break apart and change, or decay, into other atoms. Unlike electrons, which are fundamental particles, protons and neutrons are made up of other, smaller particles called quarks. Physicists know of six different quarks.Neutrons and protons are made up of up quarks and down quarks —two of the six different kinds of quarks. The fanciful names of quarks have nothing to do with their properties; the names are simply labels to distinguish one quark from another. Quarks are unique amo...

Magnetism I INTRODUCTION Magnetism, an aspect of electromagnetism, one of the fundamental forces of nature.

the French physicist Paul Langevin produced a theory regarding the temperature dependence of the magnetic properties of paramagnets (discussed below), which wasbased on the atomic structure of matter. This theory is an early example of the description of large-scale properties in terms of the properties of electrons and atoms.Langevin's theory was subsequently expanded by the French physicist Pierre Ernst Weiss, who postulated the existence of an internal, “molecular” magnetic field inmaterials...

Natural Satellite - astronomy.

Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, also has few impact craters. Although icy volcanism from water and ammonia may occur along with some tectonic activity, Titan’s youngsurface is most likely the result of weather processes. Titan’s dense, cold atmosphere precipitates particles of complex organic molecules that accumulate as dunes andmountains. Methane rain erodes the surface and creates lakes at the moon’s poles. Triton’s young surface also may result from processes in its atmosphere, as well aserupt...

Western Philosophy.

the popular belief in personal deities, but he failed to explain the way in which the familiar objects of experience could develop out of elements that are totally differentfrom them. Anaxagoras therefore suggested that all things are composed of very small particles, or “seeds,” which exist in infinite variety. To explain the way in whichthese particles combine to form the objects that constitute the familiar world, Anaxagoras developed a theory of cosmic evolution. He maintained that the activ...

Astronomy - astronomy.

Telescopes may use either lenses or mirrors to gather visible light, permitting direct observation or photographic recording of distant objects. Those that use lenses arecalled refracting telescopes, since they use the property of refraction, or bending, of light ( see Optics: Reflection and Refraction ). The largest refracting telescope is the 40-in (1-m) telescope at the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, founded in the late 19th century. Lenses bend different colors of light by d...

Big Bang Theory - astronomy.

hydrogen atoms. Hydrogen atoms can only absorb and emit specific colors, or wavelengths, of light. The formation of atoms allowed many other wavelengths of light,wavelengths that had been interfering with the free electrons prior to the cooling of the universe, to travel much farther than before. This change set free radiation thatwe can detect today. After billions of years of cooling, this cosmic background radiation is at about 3 K (-270°C/-454°F).The cosmic background radiation was first d...

Neptune (planet) - astronomy.

The gaseous atmosphere of Neptune contains hydrogen, helium, and about 3 percent methane. It extends about 5,000 km (about 3,000 mi) above the planet’s ocean.Light reflected from Neptune’s deep atmosphere is blue, because the atmospheric methane absorbs red and orange light but scatters blue light. In 1998 astronomersalso identified molecules of methyl in Neptune’s atmosphere. Methyl molecules each contain one carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms. Methyl molecules are knownas hydrocarbon radical...

Jupiter (planet) - astronomy.

Beneath the supercritical fluid zone, the pressure reaches 3 million Earth atmospheres. At this depth, the atoms collide so frequently and violently that the hydrogenatoms are ionized—that is, the negatively charged electrons are stripped away from the positively charged protons of the hydrogen nuclei. This ionization results in asea of electrically charged particles that resembles a liquid metal and gives rise to Jupiter’s magnetic field. This liquid metallic hydrogen zone is 30,000 to 40,000 k...

Nanotechnology.

ever-finer method of reducing material to the nanoscale size. Instead, nanostructures would be assembled atom by atom and molecule by molecule, from the atomiclevel up, just as occurs in nature. However, assembly at this scale has its own challenges. In school, children learn about some of these challenges when they study the random Brownian motion seen in particles suspended in liquids such as water. Theparticles themselves are not moving. Rather, the water molecules that surround the particles...

Laser.

their atoms into laser light. Consequently, they are the most powerful continuous wave (CW) lasers—that is, lasers that emit light continuously rather than in pulses. C Liquid Lasers The most common liquid laser media are inorganic dyes contained in glass vessels. They are pumped by intense flash lamps in a pulse mode or by a separate gas laserin the continuous wave mode. Some dye lasers are tunable, meaning that the color of the laser light they emit can be adjusted with the help of a prism lo...

Venus (planet) - astronomy.

level winds circle the planet at 360 km/h (225 mph), making a complete rotation in only four days. These winds are said to super-rotate because they travel muchfaster than the rotation of the planet itself. These high-speed winds cover the planet completely, blowing toward the west at virtually every latitude from equator topole. The motions of descending probes, however, have shown that the bulk of Venus’s tremendously dense atmosphere, closer to the planet’s surface, is almoststagnant. From th...

Meteor Shower - astronomy.

Meteor observations with radar work much the same way that observations with radio forward scattering observations do. With radar, the receiver and transmitter areat the same place. Both methods provide numbers of meteors per hour, without the visual observer’s dependence on a clear, dark sky. Astronomers can determine the orbit of the particle stream that creates a meteor shower by finding out the radiant of the shower and the speed of the meteors.Observers must record meteors with cameras or v...

Interstellar Matter - astronomy.

silhouette of a cloud of dust. At other times, it blocks only a percentage of the light from behind it, a process known by astronomers as extinction . The long, narrow dark lanes in the Milky Way as seen from Earth are examples of extinction. The amount of extinction is different for different wavelengths of light. A2 Reddening Starlight that does not get completely absorbed by interstellar dust can still be changed by the dust’s effects. As light passes through less dense patches of interstel...

Light - astronomy.

Each different frequency or wavelength of visible light causes our eye to see a slightly different color. The longest wavelength we can see is deep red at about 700 nm.The shortest wavelength humans can detect is deep blue or violet at about 400 nm. Most light sources do not radiate monochromatic light. What we call white light,such as light from the Sun, is a mixture of all the colors in the visible spectrum, with some represented more strongly than others. Human eyes respond best to greenlight...

Pottery I INTRODUCTION Pottery, clay that is chemically altered and permanently hardened by firing in a kiln.

basket, or a clay or plaster form. Liquid clay can be poured into plaster molds. A pot can be coil built: Clay is rolled between the palms of the hands and extended intolong coils, a coil is formed into a ring, and the pot is built up by superimposing rings. Also, a ball of clay can be pinched into the desired shape. The most sophisticatedpottery-making technique is wheel throwing. The potter's wheel, invented in the 4th millennium BC, is a flat disk that revolves horizontally on a pivot. Both...

Relativity - astronomy.

beta, for example, might be as large as 0.5, and the mass of the electron doubled. The mass of a rapidly moving electron could be easily determined by measuring thecurvature produced in its path by a magnetic field; the heavier the electron, the greater its inertia and the less the curvature produced by a given strength of field ( see Magnetism). Experimentation dramatically confirmed Einstein's prediction; the electron increased in mass by exactly the amount he predicted. Thus, the kinetic ener...

Relativity I INTRODUCTION Albert Einstein In 1905 German-born American physicist Albert Einstein published his first paper outlining the theory of relativity.

in calculating very large distances or very large aggregations of matter. As the quantum theory applies to the very small, so the relativity theory applies to the verylarge. Until 1887 no flaw had appeared in the rapidly developing body of classical physics. In that year, the Michelson-Morley experiment, named after the American physicistAlbert Michelson and the American chemist Edward Williams Morley, was performed. It was an attempt to determine the rate of the motion of the earth through t...

Planetary Science - astronomy.

III ORIGINS AND COMPOSITIONS OF PLANETS Astronomers believe that planetary systems are formed of elemental materials that were created in the interiors of giant stars. Some of this material comes from giantstars that shed material into space as they age. Most of the matter to form planets, however, comes from stars that explode as supernovas and spread debris enrichedwith the heavier chemical elements into space. According to the currently accepted views, the most likely first stage in the evo...

Albert Einstein.

On the basis of the general theory of relativity, Einstein accounted for the previously unexplained variations in the orbital motion of the planets and predicted thebending of starlight in the vicinity of a massive body such as the sun. The confirmation of this latter phenomenon during an eclipse of the sun in 1919 became a mediaevent, and Einstein’s fame spread worldwide. For the rest of his life Einstein devoted considerable time to generalizing his theory even more. His last effort, the unifi...

Rocket.

the vacuum of space, however, demonstrated that this belief was not true. In fact, rockets produce more thrust in the vacuum of space than on Earth. Air pressure andfriction with the air reduce a rocket’s thrust by about 10 percent on Earth as compared to the rocket’s performance in space. B Thrust and Efficiency Thrust is a measurement of the force of a rocket, or the amount of “push” exerted backward to move a rocket forward. Thrusts vary greatly from rocket to rocket.Engineers measure thrust...

Rocket - astronomy.

the vacuum of space, however, demonstrated that this belief was not true. In fact, rockets produce more thrust in the vacuum of space than on Earth. Air pressure andfriction with the air reduce a rocket’s thrust by about 10 percent on Earth as compared to the rocket’s performance in space. B Thrust and Efficiency Thrust is a measurement of the force of a rocket, or the amount of “push” exerted backward to move a rocket forward. Thrusts vary greatly from rocket to rocket.Engineers measure thrust...

Physical Chemistry - chemistry.

by the system in the form of the flow of electrical currents, formation of surfaces and changes in surface tension, changes in volume or pressure, and formation ordisappearance of chemical species. B Chemical Kinetics This field studies the rates of chemical processes as a function of the concentration of the reacting species, of the products of the reaction, of catalysts and inhibitors, ofvarious solvent media, of temperature, and of all other variables that can affect the reaction rate. It is...

Turbine.

steam turbine has supplanted the reciprocating engine as a prime mover in large electricity-generating plants and is also used as a means of jet propulsion. Steam turbines are used in the generation of nuclear power and in nuclear ship propulsion. They operate with fuel-fired boilers for power generation. In cogenerationapplications requiring both process heat (heat used in an industrial process) and electricity, steam is raised at high pressure in the boiler and extracted from the turbineat th...

Sewage Disposal.

greater load on the piping system and the treatment plant. The amount of storm-water drainage to be carried away depends on the amount of rainfall as well as on the runoff or yield of the watershed ( see Drainage). A typical metropolitan area discharges a volume of wastewater equal to about 60 to 80 percent of its total daily water requirements, the rest being used for washingcars and watering lawns, and for manufacturing processes such as food canning and bottling. B Composition The composi...

Soil. I INTRODUCTION Soil, the loose material that covers the land surfaces of

an exchange between plants and the atmosphere, as oxygen diffuses into the soil and is used by roots for respiration. In turn, the resulting carbon dioxide diffusesthrough pore spaces and returns to the atmosphere. This exchange is most efficient in soils with a high degree of porosity. For farmers, gardeners, landscapers, andothers with a professional interest in soil health, the process of aeration—making holes in the soil surface to permit the exchange of air—is a crucial activity. Theburrowi...

Virus (life science) - biology.

RNA into DNA earned them their name because this process is the reverse of the usual transfer of genetic information, from DNA to RNA.) The DNA form of theretrovirus genome is then integrated into the cellular DNA and is referred to as the provirus. The viral genome is replicated every time the host cell replicates its DNA and is thus passed on to daughter cells. Hepatitis B virus can also transcribe RNA to DNA, but this virus packages the DNA version of its genome into virus particles. Unlike...

Hydrogen - chemistry.

Hydrogen gas does not usually react with other chemicals at room temperature. That is, it does not split into two hydrogen atoms to combine with other chemicals. Thebond between the hydrogen atoms is very strong and can only be broken with a large amount of energy. However, when heated with a flame or a spark, hydrogen gaswill react violently with oxygen in the air to produce water in the following reaction: 2H2 + O 2 → 2H 2O This chemical equation shows that two hydrogen molecules (H 2) and o...

Respiratory System.

rapidly, or laughs while swallowing, the swallowing reflex may not work, and food or fluid can enter the larynx. Food, fluid, or other substances in the larynx initiate acough reflex as the body attempts to clear the larynx of the obstruction. If the cough reflex does not work, a person can choke, a life-threatening situation. TheHeimlich maneuver is a technique used to clear a blocked larynx ( see First Aid). A surgical procedure called a tracheotomy is used to bypass the larynx and get air to...

Greenhouse Effect.

addition, humans cut down huge tracts of trees for lumber or to clear land for farming or building. This process, known as deforestation, can both release the carbonstored in trees and significantly reduce the number of trees available to absorb carbon dioxide. As a result of these human activities, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is accumulating faster than Earth’s natural processes can absorb the gas. By analyzing airbubbles trapped in glacier ice that is many centuries old, scientists have d...

Coral - biology.

Soft corals lack a distinct skeleton. Although they live in colonies, the individual polyps are fused into a complex body, usually strengthened by small lumps or spikesknown as sclerites, which are made of protein and calcite. Soft corals come in a variety of shapes, including undulating sheets, upright mushroomlike shapes, andbeautiful shapes that form branches. A number of other octocorals have skeletons made from a hard or horny protein, sometimes strengthened with more brittle calcareous dep...

Acid Rain.

the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, a quarter of the lakes and ponds are acidic, and many have lost their brook trout and other fish. In the middleAppalachian Mountains, over 1,300 streams are afflicted. All of Norway’s major rivers have been damaged by acid rain, severely reducing salmon and trout populations. E Plants and Animals The effects of acid rain on wildlife can be far-reaching. If a population of one plant or animal is adversely affected by acid rain, animals that feed on tha...

Ant - biology.

The workers of many ant species carry a stinger within the hind end of the gaster. These ants use the stinger to defend against their enemies. In some species, workerants lack a stinger but use the tip of their gaster to squirt or dab poison at other small animals and when fighting battles with other ants, fending off predators, or killinginsects or other animals that they use as food. III PHYSIOLOGY Ants have a rigid, external skeleton called an exoskeleton that gives the soft, inner body its...

Hawaii (state) - geography.

limestone along the coast. The volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands are all so-called shield volcanoes, or lava domes. Unlike the volcanoes of Alaska and South America, those of Hawaii were notcreated by very explosive eruptions. Formed mostly by lava flows, they are great rounded mountain masses, rather than steep-sided cones. Mauna Kea, dormant forcenturies, is the highest mountain in the state. It rises to 4,205 m (13,796 ft) above sea level, and its summit is dotted with cinder cones formed by...

Hawaii (state) - USA History.

limestone along the coast. The volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands are all so-called shield volcanoes, or lava domes. Unlike the volcanoes of Alaska and South America, those of Hawaii were notcreated by very explosive eruptions. Formed mostly by lava flows, they are great rounded mountain masses, rather than steep-sided cones. Mauna Kea, dormant forcenturies, is the highest mountain in the state. It rises to 4,205 m (13,796 ft) above sea level, and its summit is dotted with cinder cones formed by...

78 résultats pour "particles"