What are antiparticles and what do they do?

In summary, antiparticles are particles with the same mass as their corresponding particles but with opposite physical charges. They are observed in particle accelerators, cosmic ray interactions, and nuclear decays. It is not possible to create them without either destroying another particle or creating both a particle and its antiparticle simultaneously. They are studied in the field of quantum mechanics and more information can be found through a Google search or by asking specific questions.
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parshyaa
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What are antiparticles and what do they do?
How do we know that they do exist?
Could you explain these in layman's term,because I don't know much about quantum mechanics.
 
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We know that antiparticles exist because we routinely observe them in particle accelerators , cosmic ray interactions, and nuclear decays.

If you want to know what they are and what they do... start with a google search. We can help you with specific questions about the parts you're not understanding, but we can't do your studying for you.

This thread is closed; you can start new threads as necessary with more specific questions.
 
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This is exactly made to provide such answers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiparticle
1.
In particle physics, every type of particle has an associated antiparticle with the same mass but with opposite physical charges (such as electric charge).
2.
Because charge is conserved, it is not possible to create an antiparticle without either destroying another particle of the same charge (as is for instance the case when antiparticles are produced naturally via beta decay or the collision of cosmic rays with Earth's atmosphere), or by the simultaneous creation of both a particle and its antiparticle, which can occur in particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.
It is not prefect and the wording might be a bit sloppy, but it is a good source to get the basics which you asked for. And of course we know they exist, because we've measured them by their properties.
 
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1. What are antiparticles?

Antiparticles are subatomic particles that have the same mass as their corresponding particles, but opposite charge. For example, the antiparticle of an electron is a positron, which has the same mass as an electron but a positive charge instead of a negative charge.

2. How are antiparticles created?

Antiparticles can be created through high-energy collisions, such as those that occur in particle accelerators. They can also be created naturally through certain types of radioactive decay.

3. What is the significance of antiparticles?

Antiparticles play a crucial role in quantum physics and the study of antimatter. They also have practical applications, such as in medical imaging and cancer treatment through positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

4. How do antiparticles interact with matter?

When an antiparticle encounters its corresponding particle, they can annihilate each other, releasing a burst of energy. However, antiparticles can also interact with other particles and matter in the same way that normal particles do.

5. Can antiparticles exist independently?

Yes, antiparticles can exist independently. In fact, the universe is believed to contain equal amounts of matter and antimatter. However, when matter and antimatter come into contact, they annihilate each other, leaving behind only energy. This is why we only observe matter in our everyday experience.

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