Answer
(3) is the greatest, then (1) and (2) tie
Work Step by Step
We were given the rest energy and total energy, respectively ,of three particles, expressed in terms
of a basic amount A as (1) A, 2A; (2) A, 3A; (3) 3A, 4A.
Without calculations, we want to rank them according to mass; greatest first.
The rest energy is a product of mass and the square of the speed of light; so we know that the higher the rest energy is, the higher the mass will be.
Particle (3) has the largest rest energy at 3A. Particles (1) and (2) both have a rest energy of "A" and so they have the same mass and are both less than (3).
