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How does an atom-smashing particle accelerator work? - Don Lincoln

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An atom smasher, or particle accelerator, collides atomic nuclei together at extremely high energies, using engineering that exploits incredibly cold temperatures, very low air pressure, and hyperbolically fast speeds. Don Lincoln explains how scientists harness the power of both electric and magnetic fields to smash atoms, eventually leading to major discoveries about the matter in our universe.


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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Animator Andrew Hunter, Darren Tilley
  • Educator Don Lincoln
  • Producer James LaPlante
  • Narrator Don Lincoln
Additional Resources for you to Explore
You can never know too much, so here is more about:
· Particle accelerators (written by the TED-Ed educator), the book The Quantum Frontier: From Quarks to the Cosmos
· Particle accelerators (written by the TED-Ed educator), the book Understanding the Universe: From Quarks to the Cosmos
· Particle accelerators: http://www.particleadventure.org/accel.html
http://www.theguardian.com/science/life-and-physics/2010/sep/06/peter-higgs-boson
http://www.hep.ucl.ac.uk/~djm/higgsa.html
http://www.hep.ucl.ac.uk/~djm/
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New York, NY
The highest energy particle accelerators can be exceedingly large.
What technologies must be improved to make smaller accelerators?
04/18/2013 • 
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Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Animator Andrew Hunter, Darren Tilley
  • Educator Don Lincoln
  • Producer James LaPlante
  • Narrator Don Lincoln

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