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Nuclear Physics - Decay Processes and Atomic Structure
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A free nucleus of mass $24$ u emits a gamma photon [when initially at rest]. The energy of the photon is $7$ MeV. The recoil energy of the nucleus in keV is
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A
$1.1$
💡 Explanation:
Using conservation of momentum, the recoil energy E_r = (E_gamma)^2 / (2 * M * c^2). With E_gamma = 7 MeV and M = 24 u (approx 24 * 931.5 MeV/c^2), the recoil energy is approximately 1.1 keV.