Marie Curie first identified the element radium in 1898. She found that the radium-226 (mass 3.77x10^-25 kg) decays by emitting alpha particle (mass 6.64x10^-27 kg). If the alpha particle's speed is 2.4x10^6 m/s, what is the speed of the recoiling nucleus?

Answer 1

The mass of the recoiling nucleus (Polonium-222) is 3.70*10^-25 g.

Assume conservation of momentum for its speed, in the opposite direction from the alpha particle.

3.70*10^-25*V = 6.64*10^-27*2.4*10^6 m/s

Solve for V

Answer 2

V= 4.31 x 10^-46 ?