India-based Neutrino Observatory is included by the Planning Commission as a mega science project under the 11th Five-Year Plan. In this context, consider the following statements: 1. Neutrinos are chargeless elementary particles that travel close to the speed of light. 2. Neutrinos are created in nuclear reactions of beta decay. 3. Neutrinos have a negligible, but nonzero mass. 4. Trillions of Neutrinos pass through human body every second. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- A1 and 3 only
- B1, 2 and 3 only
- C2, 3 and 4
- D1, 2, 3 and 4Correct
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct because neutrinos are subatomic particles with no electrical charge. They are extremely light and travel at speeds very close to the speed of light.
Statement 2 is correct because neutrinos are produced through various radioactive decays, including beta decay, where a neutron transforms into a proton while emitting an electron and an antineutrino.
Statement 3 is correct because while they were originally thought to be massless, experiments have proven that neutrinos possess a very tiny, non zero mass.
Statement 4 is correct because neutrinos are the most abundant particles in the universe after photons. They interact very weakly with matter, allowing trillions of them, mostly from the sun, to pass through our bodies every second without any effect.
Since all four statements are scientifically accurate, the correct answer is D.
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