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Conservation of Charge

Key Stage 5

Meaning

The law of conservation of charge states that charge cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred from one particle to another.

About Conservation of Charge

The overall charge of the Universe is zero.
If a charged particle comes into existence another particle with opposite charge must also come into existence.
Conservation of charge can be applied to all fundamental interactions to balance the equations and to ascertain the types of particles produced.

Examples

\(p+\bar\nu_e\rightarrow n + \beta^+\)
\(p\) \(+\) \(\bar\nu_e\) \(\rightarrow\) \(n\) \(+\) \(\beta^+\)
Charge \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(n+\nu_e\rightarrow p + \beta^-\)
\(n\) \(+\) \(\nu_e\) \(\rightarrow\) \(p\) \(+\) \(\beta^-\)
Charge \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(p+\bar\nu_{\mu}\rightarrow n + \mu^+\)
\(p\) \(+\) \(\bar\nu_{\mu}\) \(\rightarrow\) \(n\) \(+\) \(\mu^+\)
Charge \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(n+\nu_{\mu}\rightarrow p + \mu^-\)
\(n\) \(+\) \(\nu_{\mu}\) \(\rightarrow\) \(p\) \(+\) \(\mu^-\)
Charge \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(p + e^- \rightarrow n + \nu_e\)
\(p\) \(+\) \(e^-\) \(\rightarrow\) \(n\) \(+\) \(\nu_e\)
Charge \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(p + \pi^- \rightarrow K^+ + \Sigma^-\)
\(p\) \(+\) \(\pi^-\) \(\rightarrow\) \(K^+\) \(+\) \(\Sigma^-\)
Charge \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
\(n + \pi^- \rightarrow K^0 + \Sigma^-\)
\(n\) \(+\) \(\pi^-\) \(\rightarrow\) \(K^0\) \(+\) \(\Sigma^-\)
Charge \(0\) \(+\) \(-1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(-1\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
\(n + \pi^+ \rightarrow K^+ + \Sigma^0\)
\(n\) \(+\) \(\pi^+\) \(\rightarrow\) \(K^+\) \(+\) \(\Sigma^0\)
Charge \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
\(p + \bar p \rightarrow \pi^+ + \pi^-\)
\(p\) \(+\) \(\bar p\) \(\rightarrow\) \(\pi^+\) \(+\) \(\pi^-\)
Charge \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(p\rightarrow n + \beta^+ + \nu_e\)
\(p\) \(\rightarrow\) \(n\) \(+\) \(\beta^+\) \(+\) \(\nu_e\)
Charge \(+1\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(-1\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(n\rightarrow p + \beta^- + \bar\nu_e\)
\(n\) \(\rightarrow\) \(p\) \(+\) \(\beta^-\) \(+\) \(\bar\nu_e\)
Charge \(0\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\) \(+\) \(0\)
Baryon Number \(+1\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(\mu^+ \rightarrow e^+ + \bar\nu_{\mu}+\nu_{e}\)
\(\mu^+\) \(\rightarrow\) \(e^+\) \(+\) \(\bar\nu_{\mu}\) \(+\) \(\nu_{e}\)
Charge \(+1\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Baryon Number \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(-1\) \(=\) \(-1\) \(+\) \(-1\) \(+\) \(+1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
\(\mu^- \rightarrow e^- + \nu_{\mu}+\bar\nu_{e}\)
\(\mu^-\) \(\rightarrow\) \(e^-\) \(+\) \(\nu_{\mu}\) \(+\) \(\bar\nu_{e}\)
Charge \(-1\) \(=\) \(-1\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Baryon Number \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)
Lepton Number \(+1\) \(=\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(+1\) \(+\) \(-1\)
Strangeness \(0\) \(=\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\) \(+\) \(0\)


\(p+\bar\nu_e\rightarrow n + \beta^+\)

\(n+\nu_e\rightarrow p + \beta^-\)

\(p+\bar\nu_{\mu}\rightarrow n + \mu^+\)

\(n+\nu_{\mu}\rightarrow p + \mu^-\)

\(p\rightarrow n + \beta^+ + \nu_e\)

\(n\rightarrow p + \beta^- + \bar\nu_e\)

\(p + e^- \rightarrow n + \nu_e\)

\(p + \pi^- \rightarrow K^+ + \Sigma^-\)

\(n + \pi^- \rightarrow K^0 + \Sigma^-\)

\(n + \pi^+ \rightarrow K^+ + \Sigma^0\)

\(p + p \rightarrow p+p+p+\bar p\)

\(p + \bar p \rightarrow \pi^+ + \pi^-\)

\(\mu^+ \rightarrow e^+ + \bar\nu_{\mu}+\nu_{e}\)

\(\mu^- \rightarrow e^- + \nu_{\mu}+\bar\nu_{e}\)

References

AQA

Conservation; of charge, pages 116-7, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA