How many fundamental forces are there? Can you roughly compare their strengths and ranges? What particles are involved in exchange?
What are quarks and leptons?
How many quarks in a proton? a meson?
Has anyone ever seen a quark?
Some background classical physics concepts you will need:
How do you calculate the electric potential energy of an electron in the vicinity of a nucleus?
How do you calculate the radius of curvature of a charged particle in a magnetic field?
Given kinetic energy in electron volts, how do you calculate the velocity of a particle?
What is meant by the rest mass energy of a particle and how do you calculate it? Why is the rest mass energy of an alpha particle less than the sum of the rest mass energies of its constituents?
How do you account for the enormous energy release from nuclear fission and fusion?
Homework set #1