Check this out…
To see the animation, click on the picture
Now..
…what if I could cut and cut…
…and cut and cut…
forever
ad infinitum
Oh, let’s just say a hell of a long time.
What would eventually happen?
Discuss it amongst yourselves…
I’ll wait.
I don’t have much to do, really.
I’m a head on a BOX!
Well…?
Did you come up with some ideas?
What did you come up with?
OK.
Now here’s what I think…
I believe there exists… I believe there exists…
…at the smallest level…
…an INDIVISIBLE. …an INDIVISIBLE.
A thing that cannot be cut into smaller pieces.
ÁTOMOS, as we say in Greek. ÁTOMOS, as we say in Greek.
If that were NOT the case… If that were NOT the case…
…then, after cutting for an infinitely long time,
I would be left with nothing.
Zero.
Zilch.
Nada.
Since what I see around me…
…this MATERIAL world…
…cannot possibly be made out of…
NOTHING
…there MUST be a smallest thing!
An INDIVISIBLE.
INDIVISIBLES = ATOMS?
WRONG !! ✖ INDIVISIBLES = ATOMS?
INDIVISIBLES = FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES?
CORRECT ✔ INDIVISIBLES = FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES?
CORRECT ✔ INDIVISIBLES = FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES? A particle is said to be FUNDAMENTAL if it has no internal structure.
So how small is SMALL?
PIONEER 10
Hello
Hi Hello
You’re probably wondering why we’re standing here naked.
Hans, can you tell them?
Sure, Gloria
I would like the camera to zoom in…
…so I can show you something REALLY small…
!!!?? …so I can show you something REALLY small…
On my face. !!!??
Whew! On my face.
OK…
Begin!
Fruit fly: 3 mm (0.003 m)
Mites: 500 µm ( m)
Bacteria: 0.5 µm ( m)
Virus: 100 nm ( m)
Protein Molecule: 10 nm ( m)
String of Atoms: 2 nm ( m)
Single Atom (NOT drawn to scale!!): 100 pm ( m)
proton 1 fm ( m) Single Atom (NOT drawn to scale!!): 100 pm ( m)
proton neutron 1 fm ( m) 1 fm ( m) Single Atom (NOT drawn to scale!!): 100 pm ( m)
electron proton neutron < 1 am ( m) 1 fm ( m) 1 fm ( m) Single Atom (NOT drawn to scale!!): 100 pm ( m)
Proton
?
? ?
? ? ?
Neutron
?
? ?
? ? ?
Up Quark & Down Quark: < 1 am (< m)
All of the visible matter in the Universe is made up of the following particles:
The electron (e ) All of the visible matter in the Universe is made up of the following particles:
The electron (e ) The up quark (u) All of the visible matter in the Universe is made up of the following particles:
The electron (e ) The up quark (u) The down quark (d) All of the visible matter in the Universe is made up of the following particles:
The electron (e ) The up quark (u) The down quark (d) PLUS one more … All of the visible matter in the Universe is made up of the following particles:
…the pesky little neutrino:
…the pesky little neutrino: ≈ 1 ym ( m) * * Neutrino size is energy-dependent. Stated size is for a 1 MeV particle
PARTICLES ARE EITHER:
FUNDAMENTAL (meaning they have no internal structure)
PARTICLES ARE EITHER: FUNDAMENTAL (meaning they have no internal structure) OR COMPOSITE (meaning they are composed of some combination of the fundamental particles)
PARTICLES ARE EITHER: FUNDAMENTAL (meaning they have no internal structure) OR COMPOSITE (meaning they are composed of some combination of the fundamental particles) THE ELECTRON, THE NEUTRINO AND THE QUARKS ARE FUNDAMENTAL.
PARTICLES ARE EITHER: FUNDAMENTAL (meaning they have no internal structure) OR COMPOSITE (meaning they are composed of some combination of the fundamental particles) THE ELECTRON, THE NEUTRINO AND THE QUARKS ARE FUNDAMENTAL. ATOMS, NUCLEI, PROTONS, AND NEUTRONS— THESE ARE ALL COMPOSITE.
THE SIMPLEST ATOM WE KNOW IS HYDROGEN.
THE SIMPLEST ATOM WE KNOW IS HYDROGEN. IT IS COMPOSED OF 4 FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES:
THE SIMPLEST ATOM WE KNOW IS HYDROGEN. IT IS COMPOSED OF 4 FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES: THE ELECTRON + 2 UP QUARKS AND 1 DOWN QUARK
THE SIMPLEST ATOM WE KNOW IS HYDROGEN. IT IS COMPOSED OF 4 FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES: THE ELECTRON + 2 UP QUARKS AND 1 DOWN QUARK The quarks are bound in the composite particle called the PROTON.
zoo Yes. Yes. These 4 particles make up all of the visible matter in the Universe.
zoo electronneutrinoup quarkdown quark Yes. These 4 particles make up all of the visible matter in the Universe.
zoo Yes. These 4 particles make up all of the visible matter in the Universe. And here’s some more information about these particles… electronneutrinoup quarkdown quark
NOTE: There are other fundamental matter particles, but it will not be necessary to deal with them for the purposes of this module. For instance, there are the force particles that transmit the four fundamental forces. In addition, there are particles that existed just after the Big Bang, but are now found only in cosmic rays or produced in particle accelerators (one of these particles will have a brief mention in the lesson on cosmic rays, “It Came From Outer Space”).
Thanks, old Greek guy!
Say good-bye, Hans. Say good-bye, Hans. Thanks, old Greek guy!
Good-bye, Hans. Say good-bye, Hans. Say good-bye, Hans.
What an idiot. Good-bye, Hans.