Practise 43 real questions on Particle physics from 2021 to 2026. See the answer and explanation as soon as you answer.
Particle physics is one of the 13 main topics in our A Level Physics (Cambridge (CAIE) 9702) question bank, and about 6% of its real questions come from it. Tayyari Karo has 43 real questions on this topic from 2021 to 2026, from Paper 1, Paper 2; 32 are multiple choice and marked instantly, and the rest are structured questions with a model answer. By difficulty: 27 medium, 9 easy, 7 hard.
Work through the questions below, then open the explanation for each one. Redo the ones you missed a few days later.
These are real past-paper questions. Think of your answer first, then open the explanation.
A stream of identical particles flows between two points. The stream of particles does not form an electric current.
What could the particles be?
Answer: C. neutrons
Only uncharged particles give no current: neutrons.
Which statement explains why alpha-particles have discrete energies, but beta-particles have a continuous range of energies?
Answer: C. Only beta-particles are emitted with another lepton and some energy is transferred to the other lepton
Beta decay also emits a (anti)neutrino, so the energy released is shared between the beta particle and the neutrino in varying proportions, giving a continuous energy spectrum for the beta particle.
A radioactive sample decays by emitting β particles. The energy released in the decay process is the same for each nucleus that decays, but the β particles emitted have a continuous range of kinetic energies.
Which statement explains why the β particles are emitted with a continuous range of kinetic energies?
Answer: B. Some of the energy released is taken by an emitted antineutrino.
In beta decay, the energy released is shared between the β particle and an emitted antineutrino in varying proportions, so the β particle's share (its kinetic energy) varies continuously up to a maximum value.
A proton has mass mₚ and charge +e. What are the mass and charge of an antiproton?
Answer: D. mass mₚ, charge −e
An antiparticle has the same mass as its particle but opposite charge, so the antiproton has mass mₚ and charge −e.
Carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14 by emitting a β particle. Which statement explains why the β particles are emitted with a range of different kinetic energies?
Answer: D. The energy released in the decay process is shared between the nitrogen-14 nucleus, a β particle and an antineutrino.
In β decay, the released energy is shared (in varying proportions) between the daughter nucleus, the β particle, and an antineutrino, so the β particle's share — and hence its kinetic energy — varies from decay to decay.
Which list of particles contains only fundamental particles?
Answer: D. lepton, quark, positron
Leptons, quarks and the positron are all fundamental particles; mesons, baryons and alpha-particles are composite.
| Session | Paper 1 | Paper 2 |
|---|---|---|
| May/June 2026 | 3 | 1 |
| May/June 2025 | 3 | 1 |
| October/November 2025 | 3 | 1 |
| May/June 2024 | 4 | 1 |
| October/November 2024 | 3 | 1 |
| May/June 2023 | 3 | 1 |
| October/November 2023 | 3 | 1 |
| May/June 2022 | 3 | 1 |
| October/November 2022 | 3 | 1 |
| May/June 2021 | 2 | 1 |
| October/November 2021 | 2 | 1 |
43 real A Level Physics (9702) questions on Particle physics from 2021 to 2026, from Paper 1, Paper 2. Each one shows the year, session and paper it came from.
Yes. Every question shows the correct answer and a short explanation the moment you answer.
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