Science answers of the day (M J Rhoades)

If I mess up, please tell me why I am wrong

04/05/2010

A free neutron has a half life of 12.0 ± 1.5 minutes before it break downs to a proton and
electron. So now we have to calculate the velocity of a 5mev neutron using the Ke = 1/2 mv2
formula. We can use this formula only because there will be no relativistic effects at this Mev.

We have to convert the Mev to joules

(5 x 106 ev) (1.60219 x 10-19 j/ev) = 8.01095 x 10-13 j

2 (8.01095 𝑥 10 −13 )𝑗
V= = 9.567 𝑥 1014 = 3.093 x 107m/sec
1.6747 𝑥 10 −27 𝑘𝑔

Distance traveled 12 min x 60sec/min = 720 sec

Distance traveled = (720sec) (3.093 x 107 m/sec) = 2.227 x 1010 m

Or 13,837,909.9 miles
04/05/2010

In pair production, a high energy gamma (>1.022 MeV) will interact with the nucleus of an
atom (the higher the Z, the more likely the probability of pair production). In the electromagnetic
field surrounding the nucleus, the gamma converts all of its energy to the production of an
electron-positron pair. The mass of both particles, the electron and positron, are 9.109 x 1031 kg
each. Using the formula: E = m𝑐 2 the γ must have >1.022 MeV to meet this requirement. If the
gamma has more than 1.022 MeV the extra energy will be carried off evenly between the two
particles as kinetic energy.