A muon is a short-lived particle. Muons are created by cosmic rays; they can also be created by particle accelerators. The muon is similar to an electron but has a larger mass: mμ ≈ 200me. During its brief lifetime, a muon can combine with a proton to create a system that is similar to atomic hydrogen called a muonic hydrogen atom. The larger mass of the muon makes some of the assumptions of the Bohr hydrogen atom treatment less accurate, but using the mathematics of the Bohr hydrogen atom to analyze this system will give approximate results that allow us to understand how the changing mass affects the properties of the system. The larger mass of the muon complicates an accurate mathematical treatment similar to that of the Bohr hydrogen atom becauseA. The de Broglie wavelength of the muon is shorter than that of the electron.B. The relatively small difference in mass between the muon and the proton means that we can’t ignore the motion of the proton.C. The short lifetime of the muon means that it is less likely to form a stationary state.
A muon is a short-lived particle. Muons are created by cosmic rays; they can also be created by particle accelerators. The muon is similar to an electron but has a larger mass: mμ ≈ 200me. During its brief lifetime, a muon can combine with a proton to create a system that is similar to atomic hydrogen called a muonic hydrogen atom. The larger mass of the muon makes some of the assumptions of the Bohr hydrogen atom treatment less accurate, but using the mathematics of the Bohr hydrogen atom to analyze this system will give approximate results that allow us to understand how the changing mass affects the properties of the system.
The larger mass of the muon complicates an accurate mathematical treatment similar to that of the Bohr hydrogen atom because
A. The de Broglie wavelength of the muon is shorter than that of the electron.
B. The relatively small difference in mass between the muon and the proton means that we can’t ignore the motion of the proton.
C. The short lifetime of the muon means that it is less likely to form a stationary state.
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