Fundamental interactions and exchange particlesAQA A-Level Physics: Flashcards

What these 12 flashcards ask

Name the four fundamental interactions.
What acts as the exchange particle of the electromagnetic interaction?
Why do exchange particles produce a force?
What are the exchange particles of the weak interaction (tested)?
Write the equation for beta-minus decay.
Write the equation for beta-plus decay.
Write the equation for electron capture.
Which exchange particle is involved in beta-minus decay?
Which exchange particle is involved in beta-plus decay and electron capture?
Which interaction can change a proton into a neutron?
What is the electron–proton collision reaction?
What does a diagram of an interaction show?

Exam questions on Fundamental interactions and exchange particles

Two electrons are fired towards each other in an evacuated chamber and are observed to repel one another.
Explain why the repulsion between two electrons cannot be due to the exchange of a W⁻ boson.2 marks
Fluorine-18, used in medical imaging, decays by beta-plus emission. In its nucleus a proton changes into a neutron.
Write the equation for the decay of the proton in the nucleus and show that charge is conserved.2 marks
In a heavy nucleus an inner-shell electron is captured by a proton, which changes into a neutron.
Describe electron capture in terms of the fundamental interaction and the exchange particle involved, and give the equation for the process.3 marks

Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).