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ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-a-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2018/paper-1/section-a/a1/solution
Past exam of the physics A course of the University of Cambridge 2018 Paper 1 Section A A1 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
For a neutral atom, count both the nucleons and the electrons. Protons, neutrons and electrons are all fermions, and exchanging two identical intact atoms produces the sign from exchanging their fermionic constituents. An odd number gives a composite fermion; an even number gives a composite boson, consistently with the Spin-statistics theorem.
A lithium atom has three protons and three electrons. Lithium-6 also has three neutrons, giving fermionic constituents; lithium-7 has four neutrons, giving . ThereforeThe composite statistics of neutral atoms cannot be inferred from the mass number alone: counting only nucleons would classify the nuclei and give the opposite answers here. The atom's total spin includes its electrons as well as its nucleus.
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