LHC Quiz: Think You Know about the LHC?

News of the LHC progress has dazzled scientists and hobbyists alike. It’s now time to show just how much you know about the operation.

1. What year was construction first started?

 1997

 1998

 1999

 2000

2. What was the initial energy level for the first research?

 3.5 TeV

 4.2 TeV

 4.5 TeV

 4.7 TeV

3. How many LHC experiments are there?

 5

 6

 7

 8

4. Scientists have to cool the LHC’s magnets down to

 1.3 K

 1.5 K

 1.6 K

 1.9 K

5. Each proton goes around the 27km ring over

 9 000 times a second

 11 000 times a second

 13 000 times a second

 14 000 times a second

6. There is even an LHC

 Musical

 Symphony

 Rock Song

 Rap

7. In 2008 repairs were need to the tune of

 $17 million

 $19 million

 $21 million

 $23 million

8. How many miles is the accelerator tunnel?

 11 miles

 13 miles

 15 miles

 17 miles

9. What experiment is studying a “fluid” form of matter called quark–gluon plasma?

 ATLAS

 CMS

 ALICE

 LHCb

10. What experiment is researching antimatter?

 LHCb

 ALICE

 ATLAS

 CMS

11. How many collisions are made per second for run 2?

 600 Million

 650 Million

 750 Million

 1 Billion

12. On June 3rd 2015 the LHC reached what energy level

 12 TeV

 13 TeV

 14 TeV

 15 TeV

13. Which detector is this?

 ATLAS

 ALICE

 CMS

 LHCb

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Ready for your next quiz? How well do you know about the Periodic Table of Elements?

1. What is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)?

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and lies beneath the France-Switzerland border near Geneva. The LHC’s main function is to collide particles at close to the speed of light to study fundamental physics, the basic forces of nature, and the properties of subatomic particles.

2. When was the Large Hadron Collider Built?

The construction of the LHC began in 1998 and it was officially started up on 10th September 2008. It was one of the most ambitious and complex experimental facilities ever built, involving thousands of scientists and engineers from around the world.

3. How Does the Large Hadron Collider Work?

The LHC accelerates two high-energy particle beams, usually protons, in opposite directions in a circular tunnel. These beams are guided by a strong magnetic field and collided at four points around the LHC. The collisions create a range of unusual and short-lived particles, allowing physicists to study the basic constituents of matter.

4. What are the Main Goals of the LHC?

The main goals of the LHC include understanding the basic laws governing the interactions and forces among the particles, exploring the fundamental structure of matter, and searching for unknown particles, such as the Higgs boson, which was discovered in 2012. It also aims to study matter under extreme conditions, like those just after the Big Bang.

5. What was the Higgs Boson Discovery?

In 2012, the LHC provided experimental evidence for the existence of the Higgs boson, a fundamental particle associated with the Higgs field, which is thought to give mass to other particles. This discovery was a significant breakthrough in understanding the origin of mass in the universe.

6. Is the Large Hadron Collider Safe?

Yes, the LHC is safe. Concerns have been raised about the potential for creating dangerous phenomena such as microscopic black holes, but extensive studies have shown that the collisions in the LHC pose no threat. Any black holes that could theoretically be produced would be extremely small and short-lived.

7. What are the Future Plans for the LHC?

The LHC is currently undergoing upgrades to increase its luminosity, known as the High Luminosity LHC project. This upgrade, expected to be operational around 2027, will allow it to collect more data and provide more opportunities to understand the fundamental physics of the universe.

8. Can the Public Visit the Large Hadron Collider?

Yes, CERN offers guided tours for the public, which includes visits to various parts of the LHC. These tours provide an opportunity to learn more about particle physics, the experiments conducted at CERN, and the LHC itself.