Suppose you were to try to create a proton-antiproton pair by annihilation of two very high-energy gamma rays of the same wavelength heading toward each other. The proton and the anti-proton have the same masses, but opposite charges. What would be the minimum energy needed for each photon? (e = 1.60 × 10^-19 C, ^mproton = 1.67 × 10^-27 kg, c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s) A) 1.022 MeV B) 12.2 MeV C) 1880 MeV D) 939 MeV E) 223 MeV

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The minimum energy needed for each photon is equal to the rest energy of a proton, which is 939 MeV. This is because the energy must be sufficient to create the mass of both a proton and an antiproton.

Suppose You Were to Try to Create a Proton-Antiproton Pair