ANTIPROTON Meaning and
Definition
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An antiproton is a subatomic particle that belongs to the group of antiparticles, which are the counterpart of ordinary particles but possess opposite electric charge. It is created by taking a proton, which is a positively charged subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom, and changing its charge from positive to negative. This is achieved by introducing enough energy into a particle accelerator to completely reverse the proton's charge. Consequently, the antiproton carries a negative electric charge, equivalent in magnitude to the positive electric charge of the proton.
Antiprotons have similar characteristics to protons in terms of mass and spin but differ in their charge. They exhibit an identical rest mass to protons, approximately 1.6726219 × 10^-27 kilograms, and possess a spin of ½. However, due to their negatively charged nature, antiprotons are repelled by positive electric fields and attracted to negative ones.
The discovery of antiprotons in 1955 by Emilio Segrè and Owen Chamberlain provided a significant breakthrough in particle physics, contributing to the understanding of particle-antiparticle symmetry. Antiprotons have since been utilized in various investigations, particularly in high-energy physics experiments, antimatter research, and antimatter propulsion concepts.
Common Misspellings for ANTIPROTON
Etymology of ANTIPROTON
The word "antiproton" is derived from combining the prefix "anti-" which means "opposite" or "against", with the word "proton".
The term "proton" originated from the Greek word "proton" meaning "first" or "primary". The word was introduced in 1920 by Ernest Rutherford, who discovered that the hydrogen nucleus consists of a positively charged particle which he named the "proton".
When antimatter was discovered, a few decades later, it was found that antiprotons are the antiparticles corresponding to protons. These antiparticles have the same mass as a proton but carry a negative charge instead of a positive charge.
Therefore, the term "antiproton" was formed by appending the prefix "anti-" to "proton" to signify its opposite charge compared to a regular proton.
Similar spelling words for ANTIPROTON
- antipasto,
- antipruritic,
- antibiotic,
- antiphon,
- antipersonnel,
- antipathy,
- antiviral,
- antiprotozoal,
- antiphonal,
- antiapartheid,
- antiphony,
- antiphonary.
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