Particle physicists use particle track detectors to determine the lifetimeof short-lived particles. A muon has a mean lifetime of 2.2sand makes a track 9.5 cm long before decayinginto an electron and two neutrinos. What was the speed of the muon?

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Physics

7 May, 14:37

Particle physicists use particle track detectors to determine the lifetimeof short-lived particles. A muon has a mean lifetime of 2.2sand makes a track 9.5 cm long before decayinginto an electron and two neutrinos. What was the speed of the muon?

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Kenyon Kerr · Answer 1

v = 4.32 10⁴ m / s

Explanation:

The speed of a particle is defined as the relationship between distance and time

v = d / t

In this case the particle goes at high speed, but the formula is the same, it has changes if you want to transform from a mobile reference system to a fixed one

v = 9.5 10⁻² / 2.2 10⁻⁶

v = 4.32 10⁴ m / s

This speed is much lower than the speed of light, so the relativistic effects are small