Matter and Antimatter A-level AQA

Complete AQA A-level Physics lesson on antiparticles, annihilation and pair production. 20 editable slides, 38-mark worksheet and full mark scheme.

What’s in the PowerPoint

A starter that recaps photons and beta decay, with answers in the speaker notes
A timeline from Dirac’s prediction to the positron, the antiproton and antihydrogen
A table of particles and antiparticles, with their symbols, charges and rest energies
Beta-plus decay, with a general equation, the carbon-11 example and a comparison with beta-minus
Rest energy from E = mc², worked through for the electron
Converting between J, eV, MeV and GeV, with four quick-check questions
Annihilation, including why it gives two photons and the minimum photon energy
A worked example of proton–antiproton annihilation
Pair production, including why it happens near a nucleus, with an electron–positron worked example
PET scanning, explained in four steps
A common mistakes slide
Six check questions with answers, and an exit ticket
Teacher notes in the speaker notes throughout

What’s in the worksheet (38 marks)

Section A: a particle and antiparticle table, and recall of annihilation and pair production
Section B: energy unit conversions
Section C: photon energy, frequency and wavelength calculations for annihilation and pair production
Section D: exam-style questions on beta-plus decay, PET scanning and the discovery of the positron
A full mark scheme with mark points, on separate pages

Good for
First teaching, revision lessons, homework, cover lessons or independent study. Both files are fully editable in PowerPoint and Word.