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Cambridge International AS & A Level · 11 · structured

Name quarks and classify hadrons

Name quarks and classify hadrons · Original GioPhysics question with a detailed, mark-by-mark answer guide.

Demand
demanding
Marks
8
Topics
2
Answer
Complete
structured8 marks

Use the AS quark model. Particle P consists ofuud, particle M consists ofu and anti-d, and particle L is an electron. Charges or masses are not needed for these parts.

  1. (a)

    State what fundamental means and name all six quark flavours.

    4 marks
  2. (b)

    Define a hadron, distinguish baryons from mesons by composition, and classify P,M,L. Explain why P and M are not fundamental particles.

    4 marks
Ready to self-mark?Reveal the detailed answer guide
Answer overview(a) Fundamental means not composed of smaller constituents in the model. Flavours:up,down,strange,charm,top,bottom. (b) Hadrons are composite quark particles: baryons contain three quarks and mesons a quark–antiquark pair. P baryon, M meson, L not hadron. P/M have constituent quarks.
01

(a)

4 marks

State what fundamental means and name all six quark flavours.

How to approach it

Identify what the question is testing, organise the response into distinct mark-earning points, and make every conclusion traceable to a physical principle or to the evidence supplied.

  1. 1

    Give fundamental/non-composite distinction.

  2. 2

    Name all six quarks without replacing a flavour with a lepton.

02

(b)

4 marks

Define a hadron, distinguish baryons from mesons by composition, and classify P,M,L. Explain why P and M are not fundamental particles.

How to approach it

Identify what the question is testing, organise the response into distinct mark-earning points, and make every conclusion traceable to a physical principle or to the evidence supplied.

  1. 1

    State three-quark baryon and quark–antiquark meson structures.

  2. 2

    Classifyuud andu anti-d accordingly.

  3. 3

    Reject electron as hadron.

  4. 4

    Identify composite structures rather than counting the anti-quark as an extra quark flavour.

Complete marking guidance

Use these worked steps alongside the part-by-part answers. They explain the method and mark allocation; they do not add extra marks.

  1. (a) Give fundamental/non-composite distinction.
  2. (a) Name all six quarks without replacing a flavour with a lepton.
  3. (b) State three-quark baryon and quark–antiquark meson structures.
  4. (b) Classifyuud andu anti-d accordingly.
  5. (b) Reject electron as hadron.
  6. (b) Identify composite structures rather than counting the anti-quark as an extra quark flavour.

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Your self-assessment

Compare your work with the guide. This is your own rating, not an awarded exam mark.