AAMC SA test PS #70 typo???

[simmac]

The question asks "When a nucleus emits 2.5 MeV gamma ray, by how much does the nuclear mass decrease?"

I thought gamma ray emision doesn't affect nuclear mass!!

The answer is to convert MeV into amu (understandable) and then use mass of alpha particle to convert to kg...WHY would they use alpha particle mass for gamma ray emission???? Assuming the question meant to ask about alpha ray emission???



Please any help would be appreciated, this is really confusing me. thank you!!

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[Gauss44]

The question asks "When a nucleus emits 2.5 MeV gamma ray, by how much does the nuclear mass decrease?"

I thought gamma ray emision doesn't affect nuclear mass!!

The answer is to convert MeV into amu (understandable) and then use mass of alpha particle to convert to kg...WHY would they use alpha particle mass for gamma ray emission???? Assuming the question meant to ask about alpha ray emission???



Please any help would be appreciated, this is really confusing me. thank you!!

From E=mc^2, energy can be converted to mass. In fact, you can use E=mc^2 to solve the that question correctly.

And so you know, this sort of question is really suppose to go here, http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ussing-aamc-questions-will-be-closed.1015927/

(Mods, I only answered this one because the title clearly says where it came from. The chance of someone getting a spoiler is slim.)