Question

An unknown particle collides with its antiparticle and the two are annihilated, emitting two photons, each with energy $3.0 \mathrm{MeV}$. Assume the unknown particles are moving very slowly before annihilating. What is the rest mass of the particle, in kilograms?

Name: Problem 8, Chapter 31: College Physics: Reasoning and Relationships
Uploaded: 2022-02-11T09:50:53-08:00
Duration: 1 min 2 s
Channel: Raj Bala
Description: An unknown particle collides with its antiparticle and the two are annihilated, emitting two photons, each with energy 3.0 MeV. Assume the unknown particles are moving very slowly before annihilating. What is the rest mass of the particle, in kilograms?

   An unknown particle collides with its antiparticle and the two are annihilated, emitting two photons, each with energy $3.0 \mathrm{MeV}$. Assume the unknown particles are moving very slowly before annihilating. What is the rest mass of the particle, in kilograms?

College Physics: Reasoning and Relationships

Nicholas J.… 2nd Edition

Chapter 31, Problem 8

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Raj Bala

02/11/2022

Step 1

The rest energy of the particle is equal to the energy of the emitted photons. This can be written as: \[E_{\text{particle}} = 2 \times E_{\text{photon}}\] Show more…

Show all steps

Thanks for your feedback!

An unknown particle collides with its antiparticle and the two are annihilated, emitting two photons, each with energy $3.0 \mathrm{MeV}$. Assume the unknown particles are moving very slowly before annihilating. What is the rest mass of the particle, in kilograms?

Play audio

Feedback

Raj Bala and 87 other subject Physics 101 Mechanics educators are ready to help you.

Ask a new question

Labs

Want to see this concept in action?

NEW

Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.

View Labs

Key Concepts

Photon Energy Conversion

This is the process of converting photon energy expressed in units such as mega electron-volts (MeV) into standard International System (SI) units like joules. This conversion is critical for accurately applying the energy-mass equivalence formula and determining physical quantities like rest mass.

Energy-Mass Equivalence

This principle, based on Einstein's equation E = mc², describes the relationship between energy (E) and mass (m) with c representing the speed of light. It indicates that mass can be converted into energy and vice versa, a foundational concept in understanding processes like particle annihilation.

Particle-Antiparticle Annihilation

This concept involves a particle colliding with its corresponding antiparticle, resulting in the complete conversion of their rest mass into energy, typically in the form of photons. It is a key process in particle physics, demonstrating the direct transformation of mass into radiation.

Please give Ace some feedback