When a particle decays, it splits into two different particles and each is shot off in opposite direction. The speed of each particle is such that momentum is conserved. uranium 238 decays into thorium 234 by emitting an alpha particle (helium 4). If the alpha particle leaves with a speed of 6.8 x 10^3 m/s, what is the speed of the thorium atom? Give your answer in m/s to three significant figures. Use atomic mass units for the mass of each particle. Uranium 238 in atomic mass units is 238 to three significant figures.

When a particle decays, it splits into two different particles and each is shot off in opposite direction. The speed of each particle is such that momentum is conserved. uranium 238 decays into thorium 234 by emitting an alpha particle (helium 4). If the alpha particle leaves with a speed of 6.8 x 10^3 m/s, what is the speed of the thorium atom? Give your answer in m/s to three significant figures. Use atomic mass units for the mass of each particle. Uranium 238 in atomic mass units is 238 to three significant figures.

College Physics

1st Edition

ISBN:9781938168000

Author:Paul Peter Urone, Roger Hinrichs

Publisher:Paul Peter Urone, Roger Hinrichs

Chapter8: Linear Momentum And Collisions

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 39PE: Professional Application One of the waste products of a nuclear reactor is plutonium-239 (239Pu)....

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Professional Application One of the waste products of a nuclear reactor is plutonium-239 (239Pu). This nucleus is radioactive and decays by splitting into a helium-4 nucleus and a uranium-235 nucleus (4He+235U), the latter of which is also radioactive and will itself decay some time later. The energy emitted in the plutonium decay is 8.401013 J and is entirely converted to kinetic energy of the helium and uranium nuclei. The mass of the helium nucleus is 6.681027 kg, while that of the uranium is 3.921025 kg (note that the ratio of the masses is 4 to 235). (a) Calculate the velocities of the two nuclei, assuming the plutonium nucleus is originally at rest. (b) How much kinetic energy does each nucleus carry away? Note that the data given here are accurate to three digits only.
A particle of mass m moving along the x-axis with a velocity component +u collides head-on and sticks to a particle of mass m/3 moving along the x-axis with the velocity component −u. What is the mass M of the resulting particle?
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If a cart of mass 350 grams moving at speed of 4.5 m/s hits an end-stop and rebounds at a speed of 3.2 m/s, what is the change in momentum, in units of kg.m/s? A cart has the rubber bumper attached to the force sensor, and it moves and collides with an end-stop. In the collision, it suffers a change in momentum = 4.05 kg.m/s, and the time during which the collision takes place is 0.182 seconds. Calculate the average force applied on the cart by the bumper, in newtons.
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Consider an atomic nucleus that’s moving at a speed of 500m/s. This nucleus emits an alpha particle (=nucleus of a Helium atom) in the direction of its velocity, and the new nucleus (produced by the emission of the alpha particle) slows to 450m/s. If the alpha particle has a mass of 4u and the original nucleus has a mass of 208u, what speed does the alpha particle have when it is emitted? (Here u is the atomic mass unit. You could take for u the value of the proton mass, i.e. u = mp = 1.67 × 10−27kg.)