53 ms·
Density doesn’t mean anything at the ion level. Yes, lead has a higher atomic mass, but at the end of the day it’s about momentum and energy. If they can shoot
by dexwiz 3y ago
Density doesn’t mean anything at the ion level. Yes, lead has a higher atomic mass, but at the end of the day it’s about momentum and energy. If they can shoot a Mo2+ out twice as fast as Pb2+, it’s about them same.
- codethief 3y ago> If they can shoot a Mo2+ out twice as fast as Pb2+, it’s about them same. Is it? Twice the velocity (v) but ~half the mass (m) might give you the same momentum, but it requires twice the energy: E = ½(m/2) * (2v)² = 2 × ½mv².
- p1mrx 3y agoMaybe it's worth spending energy to save mass, because energy is delivered by the sun, whereas mass has to be launched. There's probably a thrust vs. delta-v tradeoff for different elements.