so lets say hypothetically there is a positron in my house, right in front of me (somehow it managed to avoid contact with all other electrons, idk but its there). and right infront of me it hits an electron and they annihilate eachother. would i die?
2007-10-02 00:51:12 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It makes two gamma rays of modest energy. You have dozens passing through your body every second from natural sources.
2007-10-02 16:57:38 · answer #1 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, the amount of energy is minuscule:
As I recall, the rest-mass energy of an electron is about 0.5 MeV, factor of 2 to add the positron, you get 1 MeV. Do the arithmetic: This is a tiny amount of energy.
Worst case: You get hit by one photon. It probably won't even be absorbed.
2007-10-02 07:12:08 · answer #2 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋