Total Energy of 2 Photons from Positron-Electron Boom

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SUMMARY

The total energy of two photons produced from the annihilation of a positron and an electron can be calculated using the equation E = 2(m_e)c², where m_e represents the mass of the electron and c is the speed of light. Both positrons and electrons possess equal mass, thus their combined energy includes both their rest mass energy and any kinetic energy present at the moment of annihilation. This results in a definitive total energy for the two photons generated during the event.

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  • Understanding of Einstein's mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²)
  • Familiarity with particle physics concepts, specifically positrons and electrons
  • Knowledge of photon properties and energy calculations
  • Basic grasp of kinetic energy principles
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Students and professionals in physics, particularly those focused on particle physics, quantum mechanics, and energy calculations in annihilation events.

PsychonautQQ
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so if a positron and an electron boom each other and create 2 photons, how do I tell the total energy of the two photons? does a positron have anti mass equal to the magnitude of the electron? so the two photons total energy would be 2(m_e)*c^2
 
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Positrons and electrons have equal mass. Total energy of the photons would be equal to the sum of the two particles' masses plus the kinetic energy they had at the time of the annihilation event.
 

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