Liquid Nitrogen and Anti-matter

Most recent answer: 12/25/2007

Q:
Can liquid nitrogen be created, and how is antimatter created?
- Brandon (age 11)
park city Utah, usa
A:
Nitrogen is a gas at normal temperatures.  The air we breath is about 75 % nitrogen.  Fortunately air contains 21 % oxygen, which supply our bodily needs.   The way to make liquid nitrogen is to cool down ordinary air; nitrogen liquifies at −196.5 °C. Liquid nitrogen is common in labs and also used some in medicine.

Anti matter is created in collisions of high energy particles .   This phenomenon can occur both at man-made accelerators, such as at CERN or Fermilab, and in interactions of high energy cosmic rays and other interstellar matter.   Anti matter particles usually don't live very long. They usually collide with particles of ordinary matter and annihilate.

LeeH (and Mike W)

(published on 12/25/2007)