2009-10-31, 01:04 AM
Work is force over a distance. Force is mass times acceleration. So to find work, you multiply the acceleration, the mass of a proton, and the distance traveled by each proton. Assume it takes 1 second to accelerate it (because I think it doesn't matter), and from your given velocity you get that your acceleration is 2.6*10^7 m/s/s (it takes 1 second to accelerate from 0 to that velocity). You also know, then, that v = 2.6*10^7*t, which you can integrate to get the distance traveled, which ends up being 2.6e7*(1/2 (1)^2) = 1.3e7 meters.
2.6*10^7 m/s/s * whatever g * 1.3*10^7 m = something J
At least, that would be my calc-bashing approach to this problem, with my limited knowledge of physics formulas, having not taken physics yet. E = 1/2 mv^2 as Hazzy said would probably be easier
2.6*10^7 m/s/s * whatever g * 1.3*10^7 m = something J
At least, that would be my calc-bashing approach to this problem, with my limited knowledge of physics formulas, having not taken physics yet. E = 1/2 mv^2 as Hazzy said would probably be easier