• Question: What does a particle accelerator do?

    Asked by to Aimee on 15 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by , .
    • Photo: Aimee Hopper

      Aimee Hopper answered on 15 Jun 2014:

      A particle accelerator does just that, accelerates particles. This is by applying a force to cause the particles to move in a particular direction.

      Dropping a ball is a “particle accelerator” experiment, because the ball experiences the force of gravity, and so speeds up until it hits the floor.

      A Van Der Graff (big metal ball which makes your hair stand on end) is a particle accelerator too, except this time uses electric forces to speed up the particles.

      The accelerators in things like CERN use something called RF acceleration, which uses radio-frequency waves to accelerate the particles.

      In terms of what an accelerator can do, whatever you want it to! Old-school TV’s have particle accelerators in them, oscilloscopes need them, hospitals use them in X-ray machines and to make radioactive drugs, car manufacturers use them to paint cars! It is literally a case of, what do you want it for. 🙂

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