Chapter 12: Problem 18

In which of the four basic interactions does an electron participate? A neutrino? A proton? A photon?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: Electrons participate in the electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and gravitational (though negligible) interactions. Neutrinos participate in the weak nuclear and gravitational (also negligible) interactions. Protons are involved in electromagnetic, strong nuclear, weak nuclear, and gravitational (negligible) interactions. Photons do not participate in the strong or weak nuclear interactions, and they don't experience the gravitational interaction directly, but they do mediate the electromagnetic interaction between charged particles and follow curved paths in the presence of massive objects due to general relativity.

Step by step solution

Electron Interactions

An electron is a negatively charged particle, so it experiences the electromagnetic interaction. As a matter of fact, all charged particles are subject to this interaction. Besides, electrons also participate in the weak nuclear interaction, which is responsible for processes like beta decay. As for the gravitational interaction, electrons do have mass, so technically they participate in it, but the force of gravity is extremely weak compared to the other forces, making its effect negligible for subatomic particles. Electrons do not participate in the strong nuclear interaction, as this force acts on particles inside atomic nuclei, such as protons and neutrons.

Neutrino Interactions

Neutrinos are neutral particles, meaning they don't carry any electric charge. As a result, they do not experience the electromagnetic interaction. They also do not participate in the strong nuclear interaction. However, they are involved in the weak nuclear interaction, which is responsible for processes like beta decay and neutrino interactions with other particles. Similar to electrons, neutrinos do have a tiny mass, which means they technically participate in the gravitational interaction, but this effect is negligible when compared to the weak nuclear interaction.

Proton Interactions

Protons are positively charged particles, so they experience the electromagnetic interaction. They also participate in the strong nuclear interaction, which is responsible for holding the atomic nucleus together. Like electrons and neutrinos, protons have mass, so they also experience the gravitational interaction, but again, this effect is negligible compared to the other forces. Finally, protons participate in the weak nuclear interaction, which is responsible for processes like beta decay.

Photon Interactions

Photons are particles of light and are neutral, so they do not experience the electromagnetic interaction as charged particles do. Photons actually mediate the electromagnetic force between charged particles so, in a sense, they are part of the electromagnetic interaction. They do not participate in the strong or weak nuclear interactions because they don't interact with particles within atomic nuclei. Photons are massless particles, which means they do not experience the gravitational interaction - although when considering general relativity, photons still follow curved paths in the presence of massive objects.

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In which of the four basic interactions does an electron participate? A neutrino? A proton? A photon?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Electron Interactions

Neutrino Interactions

Proton Interactions

Photon Interactions

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