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Mean Free Path

  The mean free path of a particle in a medium is a measure of its probability of undergoing interactions of a given kind. It is related to the cross-section corresponding to this type of interaction by the formula

with

The mean free path is the average of a distribution of distances following an exponential law:

Tables often give the quantity ) (in g/cm2) instead of (in cm). For some numerical values, Collision Length.



Rudolf K. Bock, 9 April 1998