BRAINCAKEConservation Laws in Particle Interactions
Particle interactions (collisions, decays and annihilations) must obey a set of conservation laws. In every interaction the following are conserved:
• charge
• baryon number
• lepton number
• mass-energy
• momentum
To test whether an interaction is possible, add up each quantity on the left and on the right. An interaction is only possible if all of the conservation laws are obeyed. If even one fails, it cannot happen.
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Key terms in this lesson
- baryon number
- A quantum number assigned +1 to baryons, -1 to antibaryons and 0 to other particles, conserved in every interaction.
- lepton number
- A quantum number assigned +1 to leptons, -1 to antileptons and 0 to other particles, conserved in every interaction.
More in Particle Physics
- Annihilation
- The Standard Model
- Quarks
- Leptons
- Baryons and Mesons
- Quark Composition of Hadrons
- Charge, Baryon Number and Lepton Number
- Particle Interaction Questions
All 19 lessons in Particle Physics · All Edexcel A-level Physics topics