In order to produce an electron and a positron,two photons must have a combined energy of: A)E 2m_ec² B)E m_ec² C)E 1⁄2m_ec² D)E = m_ec² E)This cannot happen.

Question

In order to produce an electron and a positron,two photons must have a combined energy of: A)E > 2m_ec² B)E > m_ec² C)E > 1⁄2m_ec² D)E = m_ec² E)This cannot happen.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the mass-energy equivalence equation (E=mc^2), the energy required to produce a particle-antiparticle pair (like electron-positron) is equal to twice the rest mass energy of the particle (m_e or m_+) multiplied by the speed of light squared (c^2). Therefore, the combined energy of two photons required to create an electron-positron pair is E > 2m_ec^2 or 2m_+c^2.

In Order to Produce an Electron and a Positron,two Photons