Estimate the maximum kinetic energy given to the target nucleus when 6.7 MeV alpha particles are incident on a lead foil. (Assume that the light alpha particle rebounds from the massive lead nucleus with a final momentum that is in magnitude nearly equal to its initial momentum.)
The conservation of momentum for the collision when the target is initially at rest is given by:
if the alpha particle's final momentum mangnitude is equal to the initial then we can write:
Introducing the KE of the particles we get:
Taking the amu of the alpha particle 4 and the amu of lead atom 207.2 then:
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