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COMEDK · Physics · 7. Center of Mass Momentum and Collision

A neutron makes a head on elastic collision with a lead nucleus. The ratio of nuclear mass to neutron mass is 206 . The fractional change in kinetic energy of a neutron is

  1. A 2% increase
  2. B 3% increase
  3. C 2% decrease
  4. D 3% decrease
Verified Solution

Answer & Solution

Correct Answer

(C) 2% decrease

Step-by-step Solution

Detailed explanation

Let \(m\) be the mass of the neutron and \(M\) be the mass of the lead nucleus. Given \(M = 206m\). In a head-on elastic collision, the final velocity \(v_1'\) of the neutron is given by \(v_1' = \dfrac{m - M}{m + M} v_1\), where \(v_1\) is the initial velocity of the neutron.…