Muons created in the upper atmosphere can travel towards the Earth’s surface at speeds close to the speed of light - Edexcel - A-Level Physics - Question 4 - 2023 - Paper 1
Question 4
Muons created in the upper atmosphere can travel towards the Earth’s surface at speeds close to the speed of light. Changes to the mass and average lifetime of the m... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Muons created in the upper atmosphere can travel towards the Earth’s surface at speeds close to the speed of light - Edexcel - A-Level Physics - Question 4 - 2023 - Paper 1
Step 1
Mass changes
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Answer
As muons travel at speeds close to the speed of light, their mass increases due to relativistic effects. This aligns with the concept of mass-energy equivalence, whereby an object approaches the speed of light, its relativistic mass becomes significant.
Step 2
Average lifetime changes
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Answer
The average lifetime of the muons also increases. When moving at relativistic speeds, time dilation occurs, making the observed lifetime of the muons longer than it would be at rest.
Step 3
Conclusion
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Answer
Therefore, the correct answer is A: Mass increases, and average lifetime increases.
