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.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The de Broglie wavelength, λ, is given by λ = h/p, where h is Planck's constant and p is the momentum of the particle. For the same kinetic energy, a lighter particle (like an electron) will have a higher velocity and hence a higher momentum than a heavier particle (like a proton), leading to a shorter de Broglie wavelength for the proton compared to the electron.

A Proton and an Electron Are Both Accelerated to the Same