77.4k views
4 votes
What is the wavelength, in meters, of an alpha particle with a kinetic energy of 8.0x10^-13 J?​

User Kostia R
by
7.5k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

approximately 6.49x10^-12 meters.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the wavelength of an alpha particle with a kinetic energy of 8.0x10^-13 J, we can use the de Broglie wavelength equation:

wavelength = h / p

where h is Planck's constant and p is the momentum of the particle.

To find the momentum of the alpha particle, we can use the equation:

p = sqrt(2mK)

where m is the mass of the alpha particle, K is its kinetic energy, and sqrt represents the square root.

The mass of an alpha particle is approximately 6.64x10^-27 kg. Substituting the given values, we get:

p = sqrt(2 x 6.64x10^-27 kg x 8.0x10^-13 J) ≈ 1.02x10^-19 kg m/s

Now we can substitute the values of h and p into the de Broglie wavelength equation to get:

wavelength = h / p = 6.626x10^-34 J s / 1.02x10^-19 kg m/s ≈ 6.49x10^-12 m

Therefore, the wavelength of an alpha particle with a kinetic energy of 8.0x10^-13 J is approximately 6.49x10^-12 meters.

User Brandt Bucher
by
7.2k points