MCQ Detailed View

In physics, every particle has a corresponding antiparticle, which has the same mass but opposite electric charge and quantum numbers. The antiparticle of an electron is called a positron. Unlike an electron, which has a negative charge, a positron carries a positive electric charge but has the same mass as the electron.

Positrons are part of antimatter, a fundamental concept in particle physics. When a positron meets an electron, they annihilate each other, releasing energy in the form of gamma rays. This principle is widely used in medical imaging technologies, such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, which detect gamma rays emitted from positron-electron annihilation events inside the human body.

It is important to distinguish positrons from other particles listed in the options:

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  Proton: A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom, not the antiparticle of an electron.

  
  


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  Alpha particle: Consists of two protons and two neutrons; it is not an antiparticle.

  
  


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  None of these: Incorrect, because the correct antiparticle is the positron.

  
  

Positrons were first predicted by Paul Dirac in 1928 using quantum mechanics and were later experimentally discovered by Carl Anderson in 1932. Their discovery confirmed the existence of antimatter and helped advance modern physics, including quantum field theory and particle accelerator research.

Understanding positrons is important for students studying atomic structure, antimatter, and subatomic particles. It highlights the symmetry in nature between matter and antimatter and connects theoretical physics to practical applications, including advanced medical imaging and fundamental research in particle physics.