The carbon isotope 14C is used for carbon dating of archaeological artefacts. 14C decays to 14N by a process known as beta decay, in which the nucleus emits an electron (also known as a beta particle) and a subatomic particle called a neutrino. In one such decay, the electron and the neutrino are emitted in opposite directions to each other. The electron has a speed of 5 × 107 m/s and the neutrino has a momentum of 7 × 10-24 kg m/s. What is the recoil speed (in m/s) of the resulting 14N nucleus?
The carbon isotope 14C is used for carbon dating of archaeological artefacts. 14C decays to 14N by a process known as beta decay, in which the nucleus emits an electron (also known as a beta particle) and a subatomic particle called a neutrino. In one such decay, the electron and the neutrino are emitted in opposite directions to each other. The electron has a speed of 5 × 107 m/s and the neutrino has a momentum of 7 × 10-24 kg m/s.
What is the recoil speed (in m/s) of the resulting 14N nucleus?
(Take the mass of the carbon-14 and nitrogen-14 nuclei to be 2.34 × 10-26 kg and the mass of the electron to be 9.11 × 10-31 kg. If you were aware of such things and concerned, please ignore relativistic effects.)
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