The fission of uranium nuclei in a nuclear reactor produces high-speedneutrons. Before such neutrons can efficiently cause additional fissions, theymust be slowed down by collisions with nuclei in the moderator of thereactor. The first nuclear reactor (built in 1942 at the University of Chicago)used carbon (graphite) as the moderator. Suppose a neutron (mass 1.0 u)traveling at 2.6 x 107 m/s undergoes a head-on elastic collision with a carbonnucleus (mass 12 u) initially at rest. Neglecting external forces during thecollision, find the velocities after the collision. (1 u is the atomic mass unit,equal to 1.66 x 10-27 kg.) (VNF = -2.2x107 m/s, vcf = 0.4x107 m/s)

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Answered: The fission of uranium nuclei in a…

Principles of Physics: A Calculus-Based Text

5th Edition

ISBN:9781133104261

Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett

Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett

Chapter8: Momentum And Collisions

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 61P

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A 2-kg object moving to the right with a speed of 4 m/s makes a head-on, elastic collision with a 1-kg object that is initially at rest. The velocity of the 1-kg object after the collision is (a) greater than 4 m/s, (b) less than 4 m/s, (c) equal to 4 m/s, (d) zero, or (e) impossible to say based on the information provided.
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A head-on, elastic collision occurs between two billiard balls of equal mass. If a red ball is traveling to the right with speed v and a blue ball is traveling to the left with speed 3v before the collision, what statement is true concerning their velocities subsequent to the collision? Neglect any effects of spin. (a) The red ball travels to the left with speed v, while the blue ball travels to the right with speed 3v. (b) The red ball travels to the left with speed v, while the blue ball continues to move to the left with a speed 2v. (c) The red ball travels to the left with speed 3v, while the blue ball travels to the right with speed v. (d) Their final velocities cannot be determined because momentum is not conserved in the collision. (e) The velocities cannot be determined without knowing the mass of each ball.
A 2-kg object moving to the right with a speed of 4 m/s makes a head-on, elastic collision with a 1-kg object that is initially at rest. The velocity of the 1-kg object after the collision is (a) greater than 4 m/s, (b) less than 4 m/s, (c) equal to 4 m/s, (d) zero, or (e) impossible to say based on the information provided.
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