Positron vs Proton
Proton is a sub atomic particle encountered in the study of the atom. Positron is an antiparticle, which displays characteristics unique to antiparticles. Both of these particles play a major role in the description of the atom. The study of proton, positron and other sub atomic particles is widely used in fields such as physics, nuclear science and even chemistry. In this article, we are going to compare and contrast what proton and positron are, their definitions, properties of proton and positron, the interactions of proton and positron with other matter and fields, the similarities of proton and positron, and finally the difference between proton and positron.
What is Proton?
Proton is a sub atomic particle that is observed in the nucleus of the atom. The proton is a positively charged particle. The mass of the proton is 1.673 x 10-27 kg. The charge of the proton is the smallest amount of charge matter can obtain. This is also known as an elementary charge. This charge is equal to 1.602 x 10-19 Coulomb. Since the charge of the proton is the smallest amount of charge an object can obtain, it is obvious that any of the charges we encounter in daily lives are integer multiplications of the charge of the proton. The proton consists of two up quarks and one down quark. Quarks are elementary sub atomic particles, but they cannot be isolated. The proton is a very stable particle. Isolated proton is found in situations such as ionized Hydrogen and Hydrogen plasma. The proton has a spin of ½. The proton falls into the sub atomic particle family of baryons. All nuclei, except for the Hydrogen nucleus, have two or more protons. These protons along with neutrons make up the nucleus. The proton – proton repulsion forces are balanced by the strong interactions. Strong interactions and electromagnetic forces are two of the four fundamental forces of nature.
What is Positron?
Positron is an antiparticle. It is also known as the antielectron because the positron is the antiparticle of the electron. The positron is usually denoted by the symbol e+. The positron also has an elementary charge of +1.602 x 10-19 Coulomb, whereas the electron has the same negative amount of charge. The positron has the same mass as the electron, which is 9.109 x 10-31 kilogram. The positron has a spin of 1/2. Since the positron is the antimatter counterpart (or antiparticle) of the electron, if a low energy electron and a low energy positron collides it will destroy the total mass and convert it to energy in the form of two photons. This phenomenon is known as matter – antimatter annihilation.
|
What is the difference between Proton and Positron? • Proton is a particle of normal matter, which is familiar to us. Positron is a particle of antimatter, which we do not observe in daily lives. • The proton has a mass of 1.673×10-27 kg, whereas the positron has a mass of 9.109×10-31 kg. • The proton is a very stable particle in normal laboratory conditions, but the positron is a very unstable particle under such environment.
|