Calculate the amount of energy needed to accelerate an electron from 0.888 c to 0.991 c. Express your answer in MeV.
A) 2.71 MeV
B) 1.89 MeV
C) 4.60 MeV
D) 5.68 MeV

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy needed can be calculated using the relativistic kinetic energy formula: $ KE = (\gamma - 1)mc^2 $, where $ \gamma = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - v^2/c^2}} $. Calculate $ \gamma $ for both velocities, find the difference in kinetic energy, and convert to MeV. The correct calculation gives approximately 2.71 MeV.

Calculate the Amount of Energy Needed to Accelerate an Electron