Gamma Ray Energy from Decay of Boron

AI Thread Summary
In the decay of 1000 atoms of (12/5) Boron, 1000 beta particles are released, corresponding to the decay into (12/6) Carbon and an electron. The energy released as gamma rays is calculated to be 88 MeV, derived from the fact that 2% of the atoms emit energy at 4.4 MeV. The calculation involves multiplying the number of atoms by the percentage that emits gamma rays and the energy per emission. The solution process highlights the application of E = mc^2 and the importance of understanding decay processes. The individual successfully resolves the problem independently, emphasizing the satisfaction of solving complex physics questions.
TheBoy
Messages
4
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



I have to figure how many beta particles are released and how much energy is released as gamma rays in the complete decay of 1000 atoms of (12/5) Boron.

Homework Equations



Mass of one boron atom is 10.811 g. I think we may be able to use E = mc^2 somehow but I'm not sure.

The Attempt at a Solution



The answer the book gives is that 1000 beta particles are released and 88 MeV of energy is released as gamma rays. The first seems obvious because (12/5) boron decays into (12/6) C + an electron. So if you have 1000 atoms you will have 1000 electrons / beta particles. The second I'm not so sure of. How can you calculate the energy released as gamma rays from just this information?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Never mind, I figured it out :)

There were 1000 initial atoms and 2% of them emit energy in the form of gamma rays at 4.4 MeV.

So 1000 x 0.02 x 4.4 MeV = 88 MeV
Huzzah, huzzah u_u it feels good to solve your own problems.
 
Thread 'Voltmeter readings for this circuit with switches'

Thread 'Voltmeter readings for this circuit with switches'

TL;DR Summary: I would like to know the voltmeter readings on the two resistors separately in the picture in the following cases , When one of the keys is closed When both of them are opened (Knowing that the battery has negligible internal resistance) My thoughts for the first case , one of them must be 12 volt while the other is 0 The second case we'll I think both voltmeter readings should be 12 volt since they are both parallel to the battery and they involve the key within what the...
View full post »
Thread 'Trying to understand the logic behind adding vectors with an angle between them'

Thread 'Trying to understand the logic behind adding vectors with an angle between them'

My initial calculation was to subtract V1 from V2 to show that from the perspective of the second aircraft the first one is -300km/h. So i checked with ChatGPT and it said I cant just subtract them because I have an angle between them. So I dont understand the reasoning of it. Like why should a velocity be dependent on an angle? I was thinking about how it would look like if the planes where parallel to each other, and then how it look like if one is turning away and I dont see it. Since...
View full post »

Similar threads

How to calculate gamma ray energies following beta decay?
Replies
12
Views
1K
Can Geiger Counter Ticks be converted into particle/wave counts?
Replies
12
Views
2K
Which Radiation Type Has the Most Energy: Alpha, Beta, or Gamma?
Replies
2
Views
2K
How can I calculate the rate of energy absorption from nuclear decay?
Replies
23
Views
2K
Why Is Energy Released in Nuclear Decay Equal to Change in Binding Energies?
Replies
13
Views
1K
Energy of Two Gamma Rays Produced by Pion Decay
Replies
2
Views
1K
Beta Decay: 14C6 → 14N7+ e− + νe
Replies
3
Views
4K
Energy of the photon emitted in a gamma ray decay
Replies
19
Views
3K
Compton Scattering: Determining the Energy of a Scattered Gamma Ray
Replies
1
Views
1K
B Amaterasu and GRB221009A: A Comparison of Cosmic Rays and Gamma Ray Bursts
Replies
5
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top