Two particles interact through the weak force by exchanging a Z boson,which has a rest mass of 91 GeV/c².If energy fluctuations given by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle which produced the Z boson allow it to exist only for short times,estimate the maximum range of the weak force. A)4 * 10^-22 m B)3 * 10^-20 m C)2 * 10^-18 m D)6 * 10^-16 m E)7 * 10^-14 m

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The range of the weak force can be estimated using the uncertainty principle, ΔEΔt ≈ ħ, where ΔE is the energy equivalent of the Z boson mass (91 GeV) and Δt is the time it can exist. The range is approximately cΔt, which gives about 2 * 10^-18 m.

Two Particles Interact Through the Weak Force by Exchanging a Z