A) An observer in a lab attached to the earth sees a uranium atom fission and ob

Question

A) An observer in a lab attached to the earth sees a uranium atom fission and observes that one of the neutrons takes about 30 min. to decay. What is the observer's best estimate of the speed and energy of that neutron before it decays?

B) An observer in a rocket ship passes over the lab at a speed of 0.8c relative to the Earth, and sees the neutron appear as a result of fission and then decay. The observer's motion is parallel to the direction in which the neutron is moving. How long doe it take the neutron to decay according to the observer in the rocket? What is his estimate of the neutron's speed and energy?

Explanation / Answer

Given that lifetime of neutron ?t = 18 min                                 = 18 (60s)                                 = 1080 s ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A) According to relativistic time dilation formula               ?t' = ?t/v [1- (v/c)^2]             (30 min) = (18 min)/v [1- (v/c)^2]              v = 0.80 c B) In this case an observer in a rocket ship passes over the lab at a speed of 0.80c relative to earth ans sees the neutron appear as a result of fission and then decay. So the time taken for the neutron to decay accroding to the observer in the reocket is 18 min.    The neutron speed is zero. The energy of neutron is = mc^2 = 940 MeV (rest energy of neutron.)

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