Difference between revisions of "Antimatter"
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'''Antimatter''' is much like normal matter, but its constituent particles carry the opposite electrical charge of their normal matter counterparts. Antiparticles can be created from energy in a particle accelerator, and they can form naturally during certain kinds of [[radioactive decay]]. | '''Antimatter''' is much like normal matter, but its constituent particles carry the opposite electrical charge of their normal matter counterparts. Antiparticles can be created from energy in a particle accelerator, and they can form naturally during certain kinds of [[radioactive decay]]. | ||
*The anti-particle for the electron is the positron. It has the same mass as an | *The anti-particle for the [[electron]] is the positron. It has the same mass as an electron, but it carries a positive charge instead of a negative charge. | ||
*The anti-particle for the proton is the antiproton. It has the same mass as a | *The anti-particle for the [[proton]] is the antiproton. It has the same mass as a proton and a negative charge. | ||
*The anti-particle for the neutron is the antineutron. It has the same mass as a | *The anti-particle for the [[neutron]] is the antineutron. It has the same mass as a neutron and carries no charge, but it will still annihilate a neutron because the antineutron itself is composed of charged antiquarks. | ||
*Smaller subatomic particles like | *Smaller subatomic particles like [[quark]]s also have antiparticles. | ||
*Massless particles like | *Massless particles like [[photon]]s generally don't have antiparticles. | ||
If a particle of matter comes into contact with its anti-particle, both will "annihilate" each other, converting their combined mass into energy. | If a particle of matter comes into contact with its anti-particle, both will "annihilate" each other, converting their combined mass into energy. | ||
Revision as of 18:33, 14 May 2008
Antimatter is much like normal matter, but its constituent particles carry the opposite electrical charge of their normal matter counterparts. Antiparticles can be created from energy in a particle accelerator, and they can form naturally during certain kinds of radioactive decay.
- The anti-particle for the electron is the positron. It has the same mass as an electron, but it carries a positive charge instead of a negative charge.
- The anti-particle for the proton is the antiproton. It has the same mass as a proton and a negative charge.
- The anti-particle for the neutron is the antineutron. It has the same mass as a neutron and carries no charge, but it will still annihilate a neutron because the antineutron itself is composed of charged antiquarks.
- Smaller subatomic particles like quarks also have antiparticles.
- Massless particles like photons generally don't have antiparticles.
If a particle of matter comes into contact with its anti-particle, both will "annihilate" each other, converting their combined mass into energy.
Antiparticles can chemically interact with each other in much the way ordinary particles do. For instance, an antiproton and a positron can combine to form anti-hydrogen.