Why Do Thermal Neutrons Use v = sqrt(2kT/m) Instead of v = sqrt(3kT/m)?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
1 reply · 5K views
sandon
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
The most probable velocity of thermal neutrons can than be approximated by the Boltzmann constant and is given by the following:

v = sqrt (2kT/m)

where
k is the Boltzmann constant
T is the temperature
m is the mass of the neutrons

My question is why is the above equation not the following

v= sqrt(3kT/m)
 
Physics news on Phys.org