Question

Isolated neutrons outside the nucleus are unstable. After a typical lifetime of about 15 minutes, they decay into a proton and another particle called a neutrino. Consider a neutron that lives 900 s when at rest relative to an observer. How fast is the neutron moving relative to an observer who measures its life span to be 2070 s

Answer 1

Answer:

The answer is V = 0.9*C

Explanation:

from the relativity formula we have to:

Δt = γ * Δto

Clearing γ:

γ = Δt/Δto

Replacing values:

γ = 2070 s/900 s = 2.3

γ = 1/((1-(V/C)^2)^1/2)

1/((1-(V/C)^2)^1/2) = 2.3

1/(1-(V/C)^2) = 2.3^2

1/(1-(V/C)^2) = 5.29

Clearing V:

V = C * ((1 - (1/5.29))^1/2) = 0.9*C