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

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In summary: So the question is unfair, in essence.There is not enough information to formulate an intelligible reply.In summary, the conversation discusses a homework problem involving sketching the atom He3 and determining the mass of the electron and pion using the charge-to-mass ratio. The conversation also addresses the issue of the pion's charge-to-mass ratio and its relation to the sketch of He3. The final question is about comparing the masses of the electron and pion, but it is noted that the pion has little in common with He3, making the question unfair.
  • #1
justgroovin
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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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  • #2

There is not enough information to formulate an intelligible reply.
 
  • #3
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.
 
  • #4
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.
 
  • #5
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
 
  • #6
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, [tex]\pi ^ 0, \pi ^{-}, \pi^{+}[/tex]
 
  • #7
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.
 
  • #8
justgroovin said:

Homework Equations


q = q/m x m

How exactly is this equation supposed to help solve the problem?
 
  • #9
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.
 

1. What is the charge-to-mass ratio of a pion?

The charge-to-mass ratio of a pion is approximately 1.4 x 10^8 C/kg.

2. How does the charge-to-mass ratio of a pion compare to that of an electron?

The charge-to-mass ratio of a pion is approximately 272 times greater than that of an electron.

3. How is the mass of a pion calculated?

The mass of a pion can be calculated by using the following formula: m = q/B, where m is the mass, q is the charge, and B is the magnetic field strength.

4. How does the mass of a pion compare to that of an electron?

The mass of a pion is approximately 273 times greater than that of an electron.

5. Can the charge-to-mass ratio of a pion and electron be used to identify these particles?

Yes, the charge-to-mass ratio can be used to identify particles, as each particle has a unique charge and mass. However, other characteristics such as spin and energy level must also be taken into consideration for accurate identification.

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