A muon is a type of subatomic particle.If a muon is at rest in the laboratory,it will decay into an electron after about 2 microseconds.Suppose an observer watches a muon travel through the atmosphere at 90 percent of the speed of light.How does the lifetime of the moving muon compare to the laboratory muon,for an observer at rest with respect to the lab?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to special relativity, the lifetime of a moving particle appears longer to an observer at rest with respect to the laboratory than the lifetime of a particle at rest in the laboratory. This is due to time dilation, where time appears to slow down for moving objects relative to a stationary observer. Therefore, the lifetime of the moving muon will be longer than 2 microseconds, and so the best choice is B.

A Muon Is a Type of Subatomic Particle