[Physics Class Notes] on Proton Mass Pdf for Exam

In subjects like Physics, there is a proton-to-electron mass ratio represented by symbol ‘μ’ or ‘β’. It is simply said to be the rest mass of the proton that is a baryon found in atoms so it can be divided by that of the electron so a lepton found in atoms. As this is a ratio which is of like-dimensioned physical quantities, i.e., it is a dimensionless quantity which is a function of the dimensionless physical constants and generally has numerical value independent of the system of units, as:

μ = mp/me = 1836.15267343(11).

Mass of One Proton

Every nucleus of a given chemical element has the same number of protons. We can see that this number is generally defined as the atomic number of an element and determines the position of the element in the periodic table. When the number of protons and in a nucleus that generally equals the number of electrons orbiting the nucleus the atom is electrically neutral. So the discovery of the proton dates to the earliest investigations of atomic structure. 

Atomic Mass of Proton

In 1886, Goldstein found that the charge to mass ratio of the positive particles depends totally on the nature of the gas which is present in the discharge tube. So this means that the charge which is the mass ratio denoted by e/m was different for different gases.

So he observed that the charge which is the mass ratio of the positive rays which was highest in case of the gas hydrogen was used in the discharge tube. This is mainly because it is because hydrogen is the lightest atom so m will be the least hence the e/m is the ratio which will be highest in this case.

The particle in the positive rays and along with that in the discharge tube was named a proton. A proton can be said to be produced when we remove an electron that was from the hydrogen atom.

So we see that H (hydrogen atom) → H+   (proton) +   e– (electron)

Significance of Proton Mass

The symbol that is μ is an important fundamental physical constant we can say that because:

• There is nearly all of the science that generally deals with baryonic matter and how the fundamental interactions affect such matter. There is a baryonic matter which generally consists of quarks and particles that is made from quarks – like protons and neutrons. Free neutrons have a half-life of 613.9 seconds. Electrons and protons generally appear to be stable so we can say that to the best of current knowledge. Proton decay theories predict that the proton has a half-life on the order of at least 1032 years. To date, there is no experimental evidence of proton decay.

• As they are stable components of all normal atoms and determine their chemical properties so the proton is the most important baryon while the electron is the most important lepton.

• The symbol μ and the fine structure generally constant denoted by α are the two dimensionless quantities which are emerging in elementary physics and two of the three dimensions are like quantities discussed in Barrow that is 2002.

The proton mass that is denoted by mp is composed primarily of gluons and the quarks that are the up quark and down quark making up the proton. So hence mp and therefore the ratio μ are said to be easily measurable consequences which are of the strong force. So, in fact, it is  in the chiral limit mp which is proportional to the QCD energy scale that is denoted by  ΛQCD.