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Chapter 21: Problem 4

What is the difference between an electron and a positron?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Both electron and positron are subatomic particles with same mass and spin, but they have opposite charges. An electron carries a negative charge whereas a positron, also known as an antielectron, carries a positive charge. They will annihilate each other when they come into contact, releasing energy.

Step by step solution

01

Describe Electron

The electron is a subatomic particle that carries a negative electric charge. It is one of the fundamental particles in the universe and plays a key role in electromagnetic interactions. The electron is part of the lepton family of particles.
02

Describe Positron

Positron, also known as antielectron, is another subatomic particle. It carries a positive electric charge, in contrast to the negative charge of an electron. The positron is the antiparticle of the electron, meaning that it has the same mass and spin, but opposite charge.
03

Distinguish Between Electron and Positron

On comparing electron and positron, despite having the same mass and spin, they bear opposite electric charges. An electron carries a negative electric charge whereas a positron carries positive electric charge. Furthermore, when an electron and a positron encounter, they undergo an interaction called annihilation - they annihilate each other and release energy in the form of gamma rays.

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