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Date May 2017 Marks available 2 Reference code 17M.3.HL.TZ1.6
Level Higher level Paper Paper 3 Time zone 1
Command term Calculate Question number 6 Adapted from N/A

Question

In an experiment a source of iron-57 emits gamma rays of energy 14.4 ke V. A detector placed 22.6 m vertically above the source measures the frequency of the gamma rays.

Calculate the expected shift in frequency between the emitted and the detected gamma rays.

[2]
a.

Explain whether the detected frequency would be greater or less than the emitted frequency.

[2]
b.

Markscheme

f = « E h = » 14 400 × 1.6 × 10 19 6.63 × 10 34  = «3.475 × 1018 Hz»

Δf = « g × Δ h × f c 2 » 8550 «Hz»

[2 marks]

a.

«as the photon moves away from the Earth, » it has to spend energy to overcome the gravitational field

since E = h f, the detected frequency would be lower «than the emitted frequency»

[2 marks]

b.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.
[N/A]
b.

Syllabus sections

Option A: Relativity » Option A: Relativity (Additional higher level option topics) » A.5 – General relativity (HL only)
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Option A: Relativity » Option A: Relativity (Additional higher level option topics)
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