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23.51 Determining the Size of the Nucleus. When radium-226 decays radioactively, it emits an alpha particle (the nucleus of helium), and the end product is radon-222. We can model this decay by thinking of the radium-226 as consisting of an alpha particle emitted from the surface of the spherically sym metric radon-222 nucleus, and we can treat the alpha particle as a point charge. The energy of the alpha particle has been measured in the laboratory and has been found to be 4.79 MeV when the alpha particle is essentially infinitely far from the nucleus. Since radon is much heavier than the alpha particle, we can assume that there is no appreciable recoil of the radon after the decay. The radon nucleus contains 86 protons, while the alpha particle has 2 protons and the radium nucleus has 88 protons. (a) What was the electric potential energy of the alpha-radon combination just before the decay, in MeV and in joules? (b) Use your result part (a) to calculate the radius of the radon nucleus

23.51 Determining the Size of the Nucleus. When radium-226 decays radioactively, it emits an alpha particle (the nucleus of helium), and the end product is radon-222. We can model this decay by thinking of the radium-226 as consisting of an alpha particle emitted from the surface of the spherically sym metric radon-222 nucleus, and we can treat the alpha particle as a point charge. The energy of the alpha particle has been measured in the laboratory and has been found to be 4.79 MeV when the alpha particle is essentially infinitely far from the nucleus. Since radon is much heavier than the alpha particle, we can assume that there is no appreciable recoil of the radon after the decay. The radon nucleus contains 86 protons, while the alpha particle has 2 protons and the radium nucleus has 88 protons. (a) What was the electric potential energy of the alpha-radon combination just before the decay, in MeV and in joules? (b) Use your result part (a) to calculate the radius of the radon nucleus

College Physics
College Physics
11th Edition
ISBN:9781305952300
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1CQ: Estimate the order of magnitude of the length, in meters, of each of the following; (a) a mouse, (b)...
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23.51 Determining the Size of the Nucleus. When radium-226 decays radioactively, it emits an alpha particle (the nucleus of helium), and the end product is radon-222. We can model this decay by thinking of the radium-226 as consisting of an alpha particle emitted from the surface of the spherically sym metric radon-222 nucleus, and we can treat the alpha particle as a point charge. The energy of the alpha particle has been measured in the laboratory and has been found to be 4.79 MeV when the alpha particle is essentially infinitely far from the nucleus. Since radon is much heavier than the alpha particle, we can assume that there is no appreciable recoil of the radon after the decay. The radon nucleus contains 86 protons, while the alpha particle has 2 protons and the radium nucleus has 88 protons. (a) What was the electric potential energy of the alpha-radon combination just before the decay, in MeV and in joules? (b) Use your result part (a) to calculate the radius of the radon nucleus
Transcribed Image Text:23.51 Determining the Size of the Nucleus. When radium-226 decays radioactively, it emits an alpha particle (the nucleus of helium), and the end product is radon-222. We can model this decay by thinking of the radium-226 as consisting of an alpha particle emitted from the surface of the spherically sym metric radon-222 nucleus, and we can treat the alpha particle as a point charge. The energy of the alpha particle has been measured in the laboratory and has been found to be 4.79 MeV when the alpha particle is essentially infinitely far from the nucleus. Since radon is much heavier than the alpha particle, we can assume that there is no appreciable recoil of the radon after the decay. The radon nucleus contains 86 protons, while the alpha particle has 2 protons and the radium nucleus has 88 protons. (a) What was the electric potential energy of the alpha-radon combination just before the decay, in MeV and in joules? (b) Use your result part (a) to calculate the radius of the radon nucleus
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