It is possible for some fundamental particles to“violate” conservation of energy

Question

It is possible for some fundamental particles to“violate” conservation of energy by creating andquickly reabsorbing another particle. For example, a proton canemit a + according to p n + + where nrepresents a neutron. The + has a mass of 140 MeV/c2. Thereabsorption must occur within a time t consistent with theuncertainty principle.
a) Considering that example by how much E is energyconservation violated? (Ignore kinetic energy)
b) For how long t can the + exist?
c) Assuming that the + is moving at nearly the speed oflight, how far from the nucleus could it get in the
time t? (This is the approximate range of the strong nuclearforce.)

" please include all the steps with my best regards"

Explanation / Answer

a) ignoring KE, E = m(n)c^2 + m(+)c^2 - m(p)c^2 = 939.57 + 140 - 938.27 = 141.3 MeV b) using minimal uncertainty Et ˜ h_bar/2 t ˜ h_bar/2E = 2.3*10^-24 s c) distance = ct = 7*10^-16 m

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse I
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.