The overall hydrogen burning reaction in stars can be represented as the conversion of four protons to one alpha particle. Use the data for the mass of H-1 and He-4 to calculate the energy released by this process.
To calculate the energy released by the conversion of four protons to one alpha particle, we can make use of Einstein's famous equation: E = mc^2, where E represents the energy, m represents the mass, and c represents the speed of light.
First, we need to determine the mass difference between four protons (H-1) and one alpha particle (He-4).
The mass of one proton (H-1) is approximately 1.00784 atomic mass units (u), while the mass of one alpha particle (He-4) is approximately 4.00260 u.
To calculate the mass difference, we subtract the mass of four protons from the mass of one alpha particle:
Mass difference = (4 x mass of proton) - mass of alpha particle
= (4 x 1.00784 u) - 4.00260 u
Mass difference = 0.03184 u
Now, we convert the mass difference from atomic mass units (u) to kilograms (kg) using the conversion factor 1 u = 1.66054 x 10^-27 kg:
Mass difference (kg) = Mass difference (u) x (1.66054 x 10^-27 kg/u)
= 0.03184 u x (1.66054 x 10^-27 kg/u)
Mass difference (kg) = 5.28824 x 10^-29 kg
Finally, we can calculate the energy released by multiplying the mass difference by the square of the speed of light (c)^2:
Energy released = Mass difference (kg) x (speed of light)^2
= 5.28824 x 10^-29 kg x (3.00 x 10^8 m/s)^2
Energy released ≈ 4.74156 x 10^-12 Joules
Therefore, the energy released by the conversion of four protons to one alpha particle is approximately 4.74156 x 10^-12 Joules.
To calculate the energy released in the overall hydrogen burning reaction, we need to use the difference in mass between four protons (H-1) and one alpha particle (He-4).
First, let's find the masses of H-1 and He-4. The atomic masses are usually given in atomic mass units (u). The atomic mass of H-1 is 1.007825 u, and the atomic mass of He-4 is 4.002603 u.
Next, we need to find the mass difference between four protons and one alpha particle. Since an alpha particle contains two protons and two neutrons, we can subtract the mass of four protons from the mass of one alpha particle to find the mass difference.
Mass difference = (Mass of He-4) - (Mass of H-1 * 4)
= 4.002603 u - (1.007825 u * 4)
Now, calculate the energy released using Einstein's mass-energy equivalence equation, E = mc^2, where c is the speed of light, approximately 3.00 x 10^8 meters per second.
Energy released = [Mass difference * (3.00 x 10^8)^2] Joules
Plug in the values and calculate the energy released.
I hope this explanation helps you to calculate the energy released in the overall hydrogen burning reaction!
mass deficit= 1*MHe4 - 4*Mh1
for the mass of these isotopes, use a mass isotope chart. http://www.chem.ualberta.ca/~massspec/atomic_mass_abund.pdf
then, energy= massdeficit*c^2