An anti-hydrogen atom is made using an antiproton and a positron. The spectral l
ID: 2037887 • Letter: A
Question
An anti-hydrogen atom is made using an antiproton and a positron. The spectral lines corresponding to the energy transitions of the positron are then measured. Which of the following statements are true? A) The measured spectral lines will all be identical to those of normal hydrogen. B) The measured spectral lines will all be different than those of normal hydrogen. C) Some of the spectral lines will be the same as normal hydrogen, and others will be different Statement C is true. Statement B is true. None of the statements are true. Statement A is true.Explanation / Answer
Statement A is true.
This is because the spectral lines have frequencies that are dependent on the energy difference between the orbits involved in the transition. While the size of the atom, masses of the particles and the charge magnitudes remain the same, we will have an identical system as the hydrogen atom with identical energy levels of the orbits. Hence the transitions leading to the spectral lines will also be identical.
This also has to be true considering particle physics which necessitates that antimatter behaves as a mirror image.