Stationary nucleus 
decays by a emission generating a total kinetic energy 
What is the kinetic energy of the 
particle?
A
slightly less than 
B
C
slightly less than 
D
slightly greater than 
Text Solution
Verified by ExpertsThe correct answer is:
C
Let the kinetic energy of the 
‐particle be 
and that of the thorium Th be 
The ratio of kinetic energies is
By conservation of momentum the momentum of 
‐particle and that of the recoiling thorium must be equal. Thus,
or 
Subst. (ii) into (i), we have
Thus, the kinetic energy of the 
‐particle expressed as the fraction of the total kinetic energy 
is given by
which is slightly less than 
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