± Comparison of Fuels for Fusion, Fission, and Combustion: Natural gas (mainly C

Question

± Comparison of Fuels for Fusion, Fission, and Combustion: Natural gas (mainly CH4) is used in many power plants to generate electrical power utilizing combustion reactions. Uranium-235 is used to generate power utilizing nuclear fission. Fusion reactions involving hydrogen-1 are under investigation as a future source of electrical power. Unlike chemical reactions, for which mass is conserved, nuclear reactions result in slight changes in mass. When mass is lost, it becomes energy according to the equation: E=mc2; where E is the energy in joules, m is the mass defect in kilograms, and c is the speed of light (c=3.00×108 m/s). The mass defect is the difference between the total mass of the products and the total mass of reactants. The following values can be used to calculate the mass defect. Particle Mass (g/mol) 01e 0.00054858 11H 1.00782 42He 4.00260

Part A. The sun produces energy via fusion. One of the fusion reactions that occurs in the sun is 4¹HHe+2e. How much energy in joules is released by the fusion of 3.03 g of hydrogen-1? Express your answer to three significant figures and include the appropriate units.

Explanation / Answer

Mass defect = 4 x 1.00782- ( 4.00260+0.00054858 )

=0.02813 amu x 1.66 x 10-31 kg

=0.0467 x 10-31 kg

Enrgy = mass defect x C^2

=0.0467 x 10-31 kg x (3x 108 )2

= 4.20 x 10-16 J for 4 hydrogens

Here we have 3.03 g of H = 3 hydrogens.

So energy = (3/4 ) x  4.20 x 10-16 J ==3.15 x 10-16 J

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