Beryllium 8 is an unstable isotope and decays into two particles, whic...

Beryllium-8 is an unstable isotope and decays into two Î± particles, which are helium nuclei with...

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Physics

Beryllium-8 is an unstable isotope and decays into two Î±particles, which are helium nuclei with mass 6.68Ã—10âˆ’27kg. Thisdecay process releases 1.5Ã—10âˆ’14J of energy. For this problem,let's assume that the mass of the Beryllium-8 nucleus is just twicethe mass of an Î± particle and that all the energy released in thedecay becomes kinetic energy of the Î± particles.
a) If a Beryllium-8 nucleus is at rest when it decays, what isthe speed of theÂ Â Î± particles after they arereleased?
b) If the Beryllium-8 nucleus is moving in the positivex-direction with a speed of 1.0Ã—106 m/s when it decays, what is thespeed of the slower-moving Î± particle after it is released? Assumethat the Î± particles move entirely in the x-direction.
c) If the Beryllium-8 nucleus is moving in the positivex-direction with a speed of 1.0Ã—106 m/s when it decays, what is thespeed of the faster-moving Î± particle after it isreleased?Â Â Assume that the Î± particles move entirely inthe x-direction.

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3.7 Ratings (457 Votes)

a The energy released in the process is 151014JSince the two daughter nuclei are of the same particle theenergy will be divided equally among the twoSoUsing the equationwith the mass of alpha particle See Answer

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