A free nuetron can decay into a proton, an electron, and a neutrino.Assume the neutrino's rest mass is zero, and the rest masses for proton and electron are 1.6726*10^-27 kg and 9.11*10^-31 kg. Determine the total kinetic energy shared among the three particles when a nuetron decays at rest.

Answer 1

The difference between initial and total final rest masses) multiplied by c^2, is available to become kinetic energy of the three particles.

To answer this problem, you will also need the rest mass of the neutron, which you did not provide. It is 1.6747*10^-27 kg

Actually, the neutrino (of which there are many different types)has been found to have nozero rest mass, but it is very small and negligible here. It can have kinetic energy and momentum.

Answer 2

The neutron mass that I provided above is from a 40 year old textbook of mine. The current more accurate value is 1.67493 *10-27 kg