Question
What is the amount of energy given off when an electron and a positron anhilalate?Asked by: Bill Devenport
Answer
Using 9 x 10-31 Kg. as the mass of each particle, and knowing that their combined mass will be totally converted to energy, you can use Einstein's famous E = mc2 (where c = the speed of light in vacuum = 3 x 108 m/sec) to determine the total energy output of the electron/positron annihilation:E = (mass of electron + mass of positron) x (speed of light in m/sec)2
E = 2 x (9 x 10-31)kg x (9 x 1016)m2/sec2
E = 1.6 x 10-13 kg m2/sec2 = 1.6 x 10-13 Joules
Answered by: Paul Walorski, B.A. Physics, Part-time Physics Instructor
Support US
Our server costs have gone up and our advertising revenue has gone down. You do the math! If you find our site useful, consider donating to keep us going. Thanks!
Science Quote
'Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Which of the two has the grander view?'
Victor Hugo
(1802-1885)
