A neutron is an electrically neutral subatomic particle with a mass just slightly greater than that of a proton. A free neutron is radioactive and decays after a few minutes into other subatomic particles. In one experiment, a neutron at rest was observed to decay into a proton (mass ) and an electron (mass ). The proton and electron were shot out back to back. The proton speed was measured to be and the electron speed is . N other decay products were detected.
(a) Was momentum conserved in the decay of this neutron?
(b) If a neutrino was emitted in the above neutron decay, in which direction did it travel? Explain your reasoning.
(c) How much momentum did this neutrino ”carry away” with it?
