Skip to main content

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

666,338 Views

4,582 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

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.

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/

Next Section »

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

More from Before and After Einstein