A thermal neutron is a neutron whose kinetic energy is in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings.At room temperature this energy is approximately

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the definition given, a thermal neutron has kinetic energy in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings. At room temperature, the surroundings are also at the same temperature, which is approximately 300 K. Using the equation E=1/2 mv^2, we can calculate the energy of a neutron with an average speed at this temperature. The mass of a neutron is approximately 1.675 x 10^-27 kg. The average speed can be calculated using the root mean square velocity given by sqrt(3kT/m) where k is the Boltzmann constant (1.38 x 10^-23 J/K), T is the temperature in Kelvin, and m is the mass of the neutron. Plugging in the values, we get an average speed of approximately 2200 m/s and an energy of 0.025 eV. Therefore, the best choice is A) 0.025 eV.

A Thermal Neutron Is a Neutron Whose Kinetic Energy Is