Neutrinos are hard to find because a. they react with most substances b. they have no mass at all c. they rarely interact with other matter
Most of the neutrinos that reach Earth come from a. nuclear power plants b. radioactive substances c. the Sun
Neutrinos are a. the rarest type of particle in the universe b. the most common type of particle in the universe c. the second most common type of particle in the universe
Discussion/essay questions
Scientists study particles like neutrinos to find out how and why the universe formed the way it did. Do you think it is possible to fully understand what happened at the beginning of time? Why or why not?
Transcript
Neutrinos are tiny particles that are produced when atoms split, fuse, or decay. They are sometimes called “ghost particles,” because they are very difficult to detect. Neutrinos are so small that they rarely interact with other matter. Trillions of neutrinos pass through our bodies every second without touching us at all. Most of the neutrinos that reach Earth come from the Sun. They are a byproduct of nuclear fusion, which is the process the Sun uses to create energy. However, neutrinos are also produced in nuclear reactors, as well as radioactive substances. There are three types of neutrinos, and they each interact with different particles. Neutrinos can even change their type as they travel. Although they are hard to find, neutrinos are actually the second most common type of particle in the universe. They are only outnumbered by particles of light.
In 1928, British physicist Paul Dirac the existence of antimatter. His theory was that every type of subatomic particle had an antiparticle. He believed that an antiparticle would be almost identical to a normal particle, only with an electrical charge. This theory was proven two years later, when American physicist Carl David Anderson discovered a positively-charged electron, later named the “positron”. Today, physicists know that our is made up of both matter and antimatter. They have even successfully created antimatter atoms. However, antimatter is still one of the greatest in the universe. Scientific theory states that the Big Bang should have created equal amounts of matter and antimatter. The problem with this idea is the fact that matter and antimatter instantly destroy each other when they come into contact. This means that if the Big Bang had as much antimatter as it did matter, the universe would not exist today.
Comprehension questions
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Discussion/essay questions
For years, scientists have debated the reason why our universe has more matter than antimatter. Some scientists have even suggested the idea that the Big Bang created another, parallel universe, made up mostly of antimatter. However, there isn’t a lot of evidence for this. Do you think scientists will ever know the answer to this question, or are there just some things about the universe we will never understand?
Transcript
In 1928, British physicist Paul Dirac predicted the existence of antimatter. His theory was that every type of subatomic particle had an antiparticle. He believed that an antiparticle would be almost identical to a normal particle, only with an opposite electrical charge. This theory was proven two years later, when American physicist Carl David Anderson discovered a positively-charged electron, later named the “positron”. Today, physicists know that our universe contains both matter and antimatter. They have even successfully created antimatter atoms. However, antimatter is still one of the greatest mysteries in the universe. Scientific theory states that the Big Bang should have created equal amounts of matter and antimatter. The problem with this idea is the fact that matter and antimatter instantly destroy each other when they come into contact. This means that if the Big Bang had created as much antimatter as it did matter, the universe would not exist today.
