One Way to Estimate the Range of an Interaction Is

question 5

Multiple Choice

One way to estimate the range of an interaction is by using the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Assume that the uncertainty in the energy of an exchange particle is given by its rest energy and that the particle travels at nearly the speed of light. Under those assumptions, what is the approximate range of the weak interaction mediated by the Z⁰ particle, which has a mass of 91.2 GeV/c²?

• A) 10⁻¹⁵ m
• B) 10⁻¹⁸ m
• C) 10⁻²¹ m
• D) 10⁻²⁴ m
• E) 10⁻²⁷ m