If the kinetic energy of a proton is 80% of its total energy,what is the speed of the proton?
A)0.02c
B)0.87c
C)0.98c
D)1.0c

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total energy of a particle is given by E = γmc², where γ is the Lorentz factor. If the kinetic energy is 80% of the total energy, then the rest energy is 20%. Solving for γ in terms of kinetic energy and rest energy, we find that γ ≈ 5, which corresponds to a speed of approximately 0.98c.

If the Kinetic Energy of a Proton Is 80% of Its