When a fast moving neutron strikes a proton at rest. Which of the following are correct.a)The collision between a neutron and a proton is perfectly elastic.b)The collision between a neutron and a proton is elastic.c)Neutron transfers almost whole of its K.E to proton.d)Neutrons will not transfer any energy to proton.Correct answer is option 'A,C'. Can you explain this answer?

Question

Answer

The collision between a neutron and a proton is perfectly elastic. In a perfectly elastic collision, the two colliding particles interchange their velocities, if their masses are equal.
Since proton and neutron have almost equal masses , they interchange their velocities. Thus practically neutron comes to rest and proton moves with the velocity of neutron. Hence neutron transfers almost whole of its K.E. to proton.

Answer

The collision between a neutron and a proton is perfectly elastic. In a perfectly elastic collision, the two colliding particles interchange their velocities, if their masses are equal.
Since proton and neutron have almost equal masses , they interchange their velocities. Thus practically neutron comes to rest and proton moves with the velocity of neutron. Hence neutron transfers almost whole of its K.E. to proton.

Answer

Collision between a fast-moving neutron and a proton at rest:

Introduction:
When a fast-moving neutron strikes a proton at rest, the collision between the two particles can be analyzed in terms of various properties such as elasticity and energy transfer.

Elasticity of the collision:
The term 'elasticity' refers to the ability of a collision to conserve both momentum and kinetic energy. In an elastic collision, the total kinetic energy of the system before and after the collision remains constant.

Explanation of options:
a) The collision between a neutron and a proton is perfectly elastic.
c) Neutron transfers almost the whole of its kinetic energy to the proton.

Explanation:
The correct answers for this scenario are options 'a' and 'c'.

Perfectly elastic collision:
In a perfectly elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. In the given scenario, the neutron is fast-moving, indicating that it possesses kinetic energy. When it strikes the stationary proton, the collision is elastic, meaning that both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved during the interaction.

Energy transfer:
In this collision, the fast-moving neutron transfers almost all of its kinetic energy to the proton. This transfer of energy occurs due to the interaction between the particles during the collision. As a result, the proton gains kinetic energy, while the neutron loses its initial kinetic energy.

Explanation of incorrect options:
b) The collision between a neutron and a proton is elastic.
This option is incorrect because it does not specify if the collision is perfectly elastic or partially elastic. The given scenario involves a perfectly elastic collision, not just an elastic collision.

d) Neutrons will not transfer any energy to the proton.
This option is incorrect as it contradicts the fact that the neutron transfers almost all of its kinetic energy to the proton during the collision.

Conclusion:
In summary, when a fast-moving neutron strikes a proton at rest, the collision between the two particles is perfectly elastic. Additionally, the neutron transfers almost all of its kinetic energy to the proton during the collision. Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved in this interaction.

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