A proton and an electron are both accelerated to the same final kinetic energy. If λ_p is the de Broglie wavelength of the proton and λ_e is the de Broglie wavelength of the electron, then A) λ_p λ_e. B) λ_p = λ_e. C) λ_p

Question

A proton and an electron are both accelerated to the same final kinetic energy. If λ_p is the de Broglie wavelength of the proton and λ_e is the de Broglie wavelength of the electron, then A) λ_p > λ_e. B) λ_p = λ_e. C) λ_p < λ_e. D) Not enough data to answer this question.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The de Broglie wavelength is inversely proportional to the momentum of the particle. Since the proton has a much larger mass than the electron, it will have a much smaller momentum for the same kinetic energy. Therefore, the de Broglie wavelength of the proton will be larger than the de Broglie wavelength of the electron.

A Proton and an Electron Are Both Accelerated to the Same