The Cosmic Ray Muon Detector · AI Generator #GEN-319FED86

Physics · modern-physics

Problem

A high school physics class builds a cosmic ray detector to measure muons created in the upper atmosphere. When a cosmic ray proton collides with atmospheric nuclei at an altitude of

15\;\text{km}

, it produces muons with kinetic energy

K = 3.0\;\text{GeV}

. These muons have a rest mass energy of

m_\mu c^2 = 106\;\text{MeV}

and travel straight down toward the detector on the ground. Calculate the de Broglie wavelength of these muons when they are first created in the upper atmosphere. Give your answer in meters using scientific notation.

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