Let the masses of the two nuclear parts be m
1 and m
2 and their respective speeds be v
1 and v
2.
According to the problem, the ratio of their nuclear sizes is 1 : 2
1/3. Since the nuclear size is proportional to the cube root of the mass, we can write:
Now, according to the conservation of linear momentum, the momentum before disintegration is equal to the momentum after disintegration:
From the problem statement, the ratio of their respective speeds is n : 1, so we can write:
Substitute the expression for v
1 into the momentum conservation equation:
We know the mass ratio, so substitute that into the equation:
Divide both sides by
Now, solve for n:
n = 2
Thus, the value of n is 2.