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The Universe at the Smallest Level: Subatomic Particles and Forces (Part 3)

In this 10-week course learners will unite their understanding of particles and forces to understand some of the fundamental processes that take place in our universe.
Kelly McGrath
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(852)
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Class

What's included

10 live meetings
8 hrs 20 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 5 - 8
This is the third part in a series of classes designed to introduce learners to particle physics. In part 1 I introduced learners to the Standard Model of Particle Physics and helped learners understand the matter and forces that cause everything in our universe to exist.  In  part 2, we explored the properties of particles, as well as how particles interact using the different forces.

Part 3 of the series will focus on subatomic particles that are made of combinations of the elementary particles learned about in part 1, and held together by forces learned in part 2. We will focus on several types of subatomic particles and learners will understand what causes them to exist, what function they have in the universe, and what happens to these particles.

Week 1: Symmetry and Conservation
~ Discrete v. Continuous symmetry
~ CPT symmetry in particle physics
~ Conservation laws in particle physics

Week 2: Hadrons
~ Learn the two categories of hadrons and what they are made of
~ Review the strong force and QCD
~ Sketch examples of QCD in hadrons

Week 3: Pions
~ Understand what Pions are and which elementary particles they are made of
~ Learn and sketch the process of the residual strong force

Week 4: Pion Decay
~ Learn about pion decay and its products
~ Sketch Feynman diagrams to illustrate pion decay
~ Understand the property of isospin and how it pertains to mesons

Week 5: Kaons
~ Learn about mesons called kaons, and understand why they exist
~ Sketch Feynman diagrams to illustrate kaon decay
~ Understand the property of strangeness and how it pertains to mesons

Week 6: Eta Mesons
~ Listen to an explanation of superposition in quantum mechanics
~ Learn about the eta and eta prime mesons and understand why they exist
~ Understand how eta mesons are both similar to and different from other mesons

Week 7: Eightfold Way
~ Listen to a brief overview of quark theory
~ Learn about the organization of mesons in the eightfold way
~ Sketch the meson eightfold way and understand what it shows us

Week 8: Common Baryons
~ Sketch the baryon eightfold way and understand what it shows us
~ Write examples of baryons and their properties

Week 9: Energy of Particles
~ Listen to an explanation of kinetic, potential, and internal energy
~ Understand how kinetic energy can be turned into internal energy
~ Understand how massless particles can still have energy

Week 10: Cosmic Rays
~ Understand that energy that comes to Earth originates in stars as quark-gluon plasma
~ Learn about cosmic rays and the energy they bring us
~ Sketch examples of particle chains formed by cosmic rays
Learning Goals
Students will learn about hadrons that make up matter and cause interactions that allow the universe to work.
Students will be increasingly comfortable talking about quarks and how they combine to make particles.
learning goal

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
10 Lessons
over 10 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Symmetry and Conservation
 ~ Discrete v. Continuous symmetry
~ CPT symmetry in particle physics
~ Conservation laws in particle physics 
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Hadrons
 ~ Learn the two categories of hadrons and what they are made of
~ Review the strong force and QCD
~ Sketch examples of QCD in hadrons 
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Pions
 ~ Understand what Pions are and which elementary particles they are made of
~ Learn and sketch the process of the residual strong force 
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Pion Decay
 ~ Learn about pion decay and its products
~ Sketch Feynman diagrams to illustrate pion decay
~ Understand the property of isospin and how it pertains to mesons 
50 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Pre-Requisites
The Universe at the Smallest Level: The Forces That Rule Our World (Part 2)
Supply List
A notebook dedicated to this subject is preferred, but not required. We will reference material from previous lessons so it will be helpful to have previous notes.
Language of Instruction
English
Joined January, 2020
4.9
852reviews
Popular
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from St. Cloud State University
I have been teaching homeschoolers ages 6-21 for 18+ years. During that time I've taught all traditional subjects and found ways to tailor them to the needs and learning styles of all learners.  I have taught math, chemistry, and physics on Outschool for 3 years. I have studied particle physics in the past and continue to attend particle physics lectures to broaden my base knowledge and help me teach the most up-to-date material possible in this changing field.  During my time teaching I've had many learners ask about the subatomic world and what we know about it, which has helped me create strategies in teaching this content.

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Live Group Course
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$18

weekly or $180 for 10 classes
1x per week, 10 weeks
50 min

Completed by 11 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
3-8 learners per class

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