Suppose you were to try to create a proton-antiproton pair by annihilation of a very high energy photon. The proton and the anti-proton have the same masses, but opposite charges. What energy photon would be required?
A)1.022 MeV
B)12.2 MeV
C)1880 MeV
D)940 MeV
E)223 MeV

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy required to create a proton-antiproton pair is at least twice the rest mass energy of a proton. The rest mass energy of a proton is approximately 940 MeV, so the photon must have at least 2 * 940 MeV = 1880 MeV of energy.

Suppose You Were to Try to Create a Proton-Antiproton Pair