Muons at speed 0.999 4 c are sent round and round a circular storage ring of radius 500 m.If a muon at rest decays into other particles after an average T = 2.2 x 10^-6 s,how many trips around the storage ring do we expect the 0.999 4 c muons to make before they decay? A)0.2 B)2 C)4 D)6

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The time dilation effect in special relativity means that moving muons will have a longer lifetime than stationary ones. The time dilation factor (gamma) is approximately 29.3 for a speed of 0.9994c. Therefore, the moving muons will last about 29.3 times longer than 2.2 x 10^-6 s, which is about 6.45 x 10^-5 s. The circumference of the storage ring is 2π x 500 m, and at 0.9994c, the muons travel this distance in about 2.1 x 10^-6 s per trip. Dividing the dilated lifetime by the time per trip gives approximately 6 trips.

Muons at Speed 0