Listen&Learn: Neutrinos

Learn about the “ghost particles” that come from the Sun

Pre-listening vocabulary

• split: to break into multiple pieces
• fuse: to join together to create something new
• detect: to notice or find something
• byproduct: an extra substance that is created in a process
• nuclear reactor: a device that splits atoms apart to create energy
• outnumber: to exist in a greater amount than something else

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Neutrinos are tiny particles that are produced when atoms split, fuse, or decay. They are sometimes called “ particles,” because they are very difficult to detect. Neutrinos are so small that they rarely interact with other matter. Trillions of neutrinos pass through our every second without touching us at all. Most of the neutrinos that reach Earth come from the Sun. They are a byproduct of nuclear fusion, which is the process the Sun uses to create . However, neutrinos are also produced in nuclear reactors, as well as radioactive substances. There are three types of neutrinos, and they each interact with different particles. Neutrinos can even change their type as they travel. Although they are hard to find, neutrinos are actually the second most type of particle in the . They are only outnumbered by particles of light.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Neutrinos are hard to find because
   a. they react with most substances
   b. they have no mass at all
   c. they rarely interact with other matter
   
2. Most of the neutrinos that reach Earth come from
   a. nuclear power plants
   b. radioactive substances
   c. the Sun
   
3. Neutrinos are
   a. the rarest type of particle in the universe
   b. the most common type of particle in the universe
   c. the second most common type of particle in the universe

Discussion/essay questions

1. Scientists study particles like neutrinos to find out how and why the universe formed the way it did. Do you think it is possible to fully understand what happened at the beginning of time? Why or why not?

Transcript

Neutrinos are tiny particles that are produced when atoms split, fuse, or decay. They are sometimes called “ghost particles,” because they are very difficult to detect. Neutrinos are so small that they rarely interact with other matter. Trillions of neutrinos pass through our bodies every second without touching us at all. Most of the neutrinos that reach Earth come from the Sun. They are a byproduct of nuclear fusion, which is the process the Sun uses to create energy. However, neutrinos are also produced in nuclear reactors, as well as radioactive substances. There are three types of neutrinos, and they each interact with different particles. Neutrinos can even change their type as they travel. Although they are hard to find, neutrinos are actually the second most common type of particle in the universe. They are only outnumbered by particles of light.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2c 3c