The fission process n + ²³⁵U → ²³⁶U → ¹⁴⁴Ba + ⁸⁹Kr + 3n converts 0.185 u of mass into the kinetic energy of the fission products. What is the total kinetic energy in MeV?

The factor γ appears in many relativistic expressions. A value γ = 1.01 implies that relativity changes the Newtonian values by approximately 1% and that relativistic effects can no longer be ignored. At what kinetic energy, in MeV, is γ = 1.01 for (a) an electron, (b) a proton, and (c) an alpha particle?

What is the velocity, as a fraction of c, of an electron with 2.0 GeV total energy? Hint: This problem uses relativity.

In a particular state of the hydrogen atom, the angle between the angular momentum vector $\overrightarrow{L}$ and the $z$-axis is $u=26.6$°. If this is the smallest angle for this particular value of the orbital quantum number $l$, what is $l$?

(III) A certain atom emits light of frequency ƒ₀ when at rest. A monatomic gas composed of these atoms is at temperature T. Some of the gas atoms move toward, and others away from, an observer due to their random thermal motion. Using the rms speed of thermal motion, (a) show that the fractional difference between the Doppler-shifted frequencies for atoms moving directly toward the observer and directly away from the observer is ∆ƒ/ƒ₀ ≈ 2 √3kT/mc². Assume mc² ≫ 3kT. (b) Evaluate ∆ƒ/ƒ₀ for a gas of hydrogen atoms at 650 K. [This “Doppler-broadening” effect is commonly used to measure gas temperature, such as in astronomy.]

A quasar emits familiar hydrogen lines whose wavelengths are 8.5% longer than what we measure in the laboratory.

(a) Using the Doppler formula for light, estimate the speed of this quasar.

(b) What result would you obtain if you used the “classical” Doppler shift discussed in Chapter 16?

A rocket ship flies past the earth at 91.0% of the speed of light. Inside, an astronaut who is undergoing a physical examination is having his height measured while he is lying down parallel to the direction in which the ship is moving. (a) If his height is measured to be 2.00 m by his doctor inside the ship, what height would a person watching this from the earth measure? (b) If the earth-based person had measured 2.00 m, what would the doctor in the spaceship have measured for the astronaut’s height? Is this a reasonable height?

An unstable particle is created in the upper atmosphere from a cosmic ray and travels straight down toward the surface of the earth with a speed of 0.99540c relative to the earth. A scientist at rest on the earth’s surface measures that the particle is created at an altitude of 45.0 km. (a) As measured by the scientist, how much time does it take the particle to travel the 45.0 km to the surface of the earth? (b) Use the length-contraction formula to calculate the distance from where the particle is created to the surface of the earth as measured in the particle’s frame. (c) In the particle’s frame, how much time does it take the particle to travel from where it is created to the surface of the earth? Calculate this time both by the time dilation formula and from the distance calculated in part (b). Do the two results agree?