Advertisements
Advertisements
प्रश्न
Consider the decay of a free neutron at rest : n → p + e–
Show that the two-body decay of this type must necessarily give an electron of fixed energy and, therefore, cannot account for the observed continuous energy distribution in the β-decay of a neutron or a nucleus

Advertisements
उत्तर १
The decay process of free neutron at rest is given as:
n → p + e–
From Einstein’s mass-energy relation, we have the energy of electron as Δmc2
Where,
Δm = Mass defect = Mass of neutron – (Mass of proton + Mass of electron)
c = Speed of light
Δm and c are constants. Hence, the given two-body decay is unable to explain the continuous energy distribution in the β-decay of a neutron or a nucleus. The presence of neutrino νon the LHS of the decay correctly explains the continuous energy distribution.
उत्तर २
Let the masses of the electron and proton be m and M respectively. Let v and V be the velocities of electron and proton respectively. Using law of conservation of momentum. Momentum of electron + momentum of proton = momentum of neutron
`:. mv + MV = 0 => V = - m/M v`
Clearly the electron and the proton move in opposite directions. If mass `trianglem` has been conveted into energy in the reaction then
`1/2mv^2 + 1/2 MV^2 = trianglem xx c^2`
or `1/2mv^2 + 1/2M[-m/M]^2v^2 = trianglemc^2`
or `1/2mv^2[1+m/M] = trianglemc^2`
or `v^2 = (2Mtrianglemc^2)/(m(M+m))`
Thus, it is proved that the value of v2 is fixed since all the quantities in right hand side are constant. It establishes that the emitted electron must have a fixed energy and thus we cannot account for the continuous energy distribution in the β-decay of a neutron.
संबंधित प्रश्न
State if the following statement is true or false. Give a reason for your answer.
In an inelastic collision, the final kinetic energy is always less than the initial kinetic energy of the system.
A bullet of mass 0.012 kg and horizontal speed 70 m s–1 strikes a block of wood of mass 0.4 kg and instantly comes to rest with respect to the block. The block is suspended from the ceiling by means of thin wires. Calculate the height to which the block rises. Also, estimate the amount of heat produced in the block.
Define coefficient of restitution.
Explain the characteristics of elastic and inelastic collision.
Define the following:
Coefficient of restitution
What is inelastic collision? In which way it is different from an elastic collision. Mention a few examples in day-to-day life for inelastic collision.
A ball moving with velocity 5 m/s collides head on with another stationary ball of double mass. If the coefficient of restitution is 0.8, then their velocities (in m/s) after collision will be ____________.
A bullet fired from gun with a velocity 30 m/s at an angle of 60° with horizontal direction. At the highest point of its path, the bullet explodes into two parts with masses in the ratio 1:3. The lighter mass comes to rest immediately. Then the speed of the heavier mass is
Two blocks M1 and M2 having equal mass are free to move on a horizontal frictionless surface. M2 is attached to a massless spring as shown in figure. Iniially M2 is at rest and M1 is moving toward M2 with speed v and collides head-on with M2.

- While spring is fully compressed all the KE of M1 is stored as PE of spring.
- While spring is fully compressed the system momentum is not conserved, though final momentum is equal to initial momentum.
- If spring is massless, the final state of the M1 is state of rest.
- If the surface on which blocks are moving has friction, then collision cannot be elastic.
Consider a one-dimensional motion of a particle with total energy E. There are four regions A, B, C and D in which the relation between potential energy V, kinetic energy (K) and total energy E is as given below:
Region A : V > E
Region B : V < E
Region C : K > E
Region D : V > K
State with reason in each case whether a particle can be found in the given region or not.
A ball falls from a height of 1 m on a ground and it loses half its kinetic energy when it hits the ground. What would be the total distance covered by the ball after sufficiently long time?
A ball is thrown upwards from the foot of a tower. The ball crosses the top of tower twice after an interval of 4 seconds and the ball reaches ground after 8 seconds, then the height of tower is ______ m. (g = 10 m/s2)
A bag of sand of mass 9.8 kg is suspended by a rope. A bullet of 200 g travelling with speed 10 ms-1 gets embedded in it, then loss of kinetic energy will be ______.
Three identical blocks A, B and C are placed on horizontal frictionless surface. The blocks A and C are at rest. But A is approaching towards B with a speed 10 m/s. The coefficient of restitution for all collision is 0.5. The speed of the block C just after the collision is ______.

Answer carefully, with reason:
Is the total linear momentum conserved during the short time of an inelastic collision of two balls ?
What do the objects do "after collision"?
What is a collision?
