Question

Find the rest energy in joules and MeV of a proton, given its mass is (1.67 × 10⁻²⁷) kg.

( E = mc² )
(a) (1.50 × 10⁻¹⁰) J, 938 MeV
(b) (2.67 × 10⁻¹⁶) J, 0.17 MeV
(c) (1.23 × 10⁻¹³) J, 0.77 MeV
(d) (3.01 × 10⁻¹⁴) J, 1.88 MeV

Answer 1

The rest energy of a proton can be calculated using the equation E = mc². For a proton with a mass of 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg, the rest energy is approximately 1.50 × 10⁻¹⁰ J or 938 MeV. The answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The rest energy of a proton can be found using the equation E = mc², where E is the energy, m is the mass, and c is the speed of light.

Given that the mass of the proton is 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg, we can calculate the rest energy as follows:

E = (1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg) × (3.00 × 10⁸ m/s)²

E = 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg × (9.00 × 10¹⁶ m²/s²)

E = 1.50 × 10⁻¹⁰ J

Converting this energy to MeV:

E = 1.50 × 10⁻¹⁰ J × (1 MeV / 1.60 × 10⁻¹³ J)

E = 938 MeV