Approximately how fast is an ion of helium moving if it is in a plasma with a temperature of 10⁸ K? m(He) = 4.002 603 u and u = 1.66 × 10−²⁷ kg. A) 10⁶ m/s B) 10⁴ m/s C) 10² m/s D) 10 m/s E) 1 m/s

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The speed of an ion in a plasma can be estimated using the formula for the root-mean-square speed: v = sqrt((3kT)/m), where k is the Boltzmann constant, T is the temperature, and m is the mass of the ion. For helium at 10^8 K, this results in a speed on the order of 10^6 m/s.

Approximately How Fast Is an Ion of Helium Moving If