Charge-to-Mass Ratio of Pion & Electron: Compare & Calculate Mass

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The discussion centers around calculating the charge-to-mass ratio of pions and electrons, specifically in relation to the He3 atom. Participants emphasize that pions are mesons, not atoms, and can possess different charges, which complicates the charge-to-mass ratio calculation. The charge-to-mass ratio of the electron is known, but the pion's ratio needs to be derived from its properties, which was misunderstood in the context of the He3 atom sketch. Clarifications are made regarding the nature of pions and their relationship to the He3 atom, highlighting that the two are fundamentally different. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for accurately comparing the masses of the pion and electron.
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Homework Statement


1.Sketch a diagram of the atom He3, using the appropriate quarks and leptons.

2 The charge-to-mass ratio of the pion was determined in 1. The charge-to-mass ratio of the electron is 1.76 x 10^11 C/kg.
a) Based on this info, predict which particle has a greater mass- the electron of the pion . Justify your answer by referring to the charge-to-mass ratio.
b) Use the value of the elementary charge (e = 1.6 x 10^-19C) to calculate the mass of the pion in kg. Compare the mass of the pion to the mass of the electron.


Homework Equations


q = q/m x m




The Attempt at a Solution


1. No problems, just stated question to illustrate entire problem

2a) I predict the He3 particle will have more mass- it consists of 2 protons, 1 neutron and 2 electrons

2b) mass of electron = charge/ charge to mass ratio
= (1.6 x 10^(-19) C)/(1.76 x 10^11 C/kg)
= 9.09 x 10-31 kg
It's the pion charge-to-mass ratio I'm having troubles with. Between the quarks and leptons- it is a neutral atom, therefore dividing the charge by the mass is 0
I feel like I've been at this too long, and I'm missing a basic point here.
Please help
 
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There is not enough information to formulate an intelligible reply.
 
The Pion is not an atom, it is a meson.

Pions can have ±1 elementary charge. That is the charge to mass ratio the question is referring to. This is something you should have, according to the question.
 
So the pion is a meson of the He3 atom?
Can't pions also have a 0 charge? +1, -1 or 0 charge?
Thank you for your help.
 
RoyalCat said:
This is something you should have, according to the question.

The charge-to-mass ratio was not provided. It was to be determined trhrough my sketch in #1. The sketch shows that the quarks and leptons cancel each other out to leave the meson with a 0 charge
 
justgroovin said:
The charge-to-mass ratio was not provided. It was to be determined trhrough my sketch in #1. The sketch shows that the quarks and leptons cancel each other out to leave the meson with a 0 charge

How does sketching a He3 atom provide you with data on a pion?

Consider the following, there are three kinds of pions, \pi ^ 0, \pi ^{-}, \pi^{+}
 
I figured that since it helped me to see that the quarks and leptons cancel out each other, it shows a 0 charge. Since the ratio is q/m and q = 0 then the ratio = 0.
 
justgroovin said:

Homework Equations


q = q/m x m

How exactly is this equation supposed to help solve the problem?
 
Dickfore said:
How exactly is this equation supposed to help solve the problem?

mass = charge/ charge to mass ratio
is what I got from that equation, and I used this to help me determine the mass of the electron.
I am supposed to compare the mass of pion to the mass of the electron, so I needed to determine the mass of the electron.
 
  • #10
This is my final question in my ILC course (other than my unit summary) before I prep for my final. I haven't NOT answered any questions yet, and I could really use some help to understand what I'm just not getting about this one.
Any input would be helpful please.
Thank you
 
  • #11
justgroovin said:
This is my final question in my ILC course (other than my unit summary) before I prep for my final. I haven't NOT answered any questions yet, and I could really use some help to understand what I'm just not getting about this one.
Any input would be helpful please.
Thank you

A Pion has very little in common with He3, is the problem.
 
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