what is a "particle accelerator" for?

Answer 1

A particle acclerator acclerates particles at ridiculously high speeds and smashes them into each other. Then photographs of the smashing (gas-bubble chamber photographs) trace the paths of the particles and their interactions in these collisions. Physicists use them to discover new things about elementary particles, quantum mechanics, and other things.

Basically, the reason why particle accelerators have to acclerate things so fast, and the faster the better, is that the faster the particle, the more the energy. I'm sure u've seen this equation

E= mc^2

What this equation says is that Energy is mass, and mass is energy. Basically what happens is that because they particles collide with such high energies, they can actually create matter out of nothing. It doesn't seem possible, does it? but yes, it is true. That is the significance of E=mc^2. What happens is that through these collisions, physicists can create new particles and study new interactions of the four fundamental forces. They can also create new artificial trans-uranium elements (elements 93+ on the periodic table.)

Answer 2

It accelerates particles, and then slams them into each other. This extremly high energy collision causes the particles to interact in ways that they normally wouldn't. Providing much useful data on things like the nature of atomic structure and what conditions might be like inside a sun. The collision also sometimes produces short-lived atoms of new elements that don't exist under normal situations.

Hope this is helpful.

Answer 3

A particle accelerator is a device that uses electric fields to propel electrically charged particles to high speeds and to contain them. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: linear (i.e. straight-line) accelerators and circular accelerators.

Answer 4

In ther sun and the other stars, nuclear fussion takes place naturally which needs a temp. around millions of Kelvins. But in a laboratory this can be done by accelerating low atomic number nuclie in a particle accelerator.

Answer 5

I just read in Popular Mechanics magazine, the partical accelerator in New Mexico "generates data for supercomputers that simulate nuclear explosions." The article also read that is produced a temp. of 2 billion degrees Kelvin, and it also made enough pressure to make a diamond. So basically it creates lots and lots of pressure and power