The net reaction for fusion on a star like our Sun is: 4H(1,1) ==> He(4,2) + 2e(0,+1)
Calculate the mass defect for this reaction. If one atom of He is formed this way, calculate the energy released. If one Kg of He is formed, calculate the energy released.
The masses of the particles are
H=1.00728amu He=4.00150amu e+=.00055amu
How do I solve this. I assume it requires physics?
Yes, solving this problem requires some elementary physics concepts related to nuclear reactions and mass-energy equivalence.
To calculate the mass defect for this reaction, first, determine the total mass of the reactants and products involved. The total mass of 4 hydrogen atoms (H) is 4 times the mass of a single hydrogen atom. Using the given masses of the particles, you can calculate the total mass of the reactants:
Total mass of reactants = (4H atom mass) + (2e+ mass)
= (4 * 1.00728 amu) + (2 * 0.00055 amu)
Next, determine the mass of the helium atom (He) produced:
Mass of helium atom = He atom mass
= 4.00150 amu
The mass defect is calculated by subtracting the total mass of the reactants from the mass of the products:
Mass defect = Mass of products - Total mass of reactants
= (Mass of He) - (Total mass of reactants)
Now that you have obtained the mass defect, you can convert it into energy by using Einstein's famous equation, E = mc², where E represents energy, m represents mass, and c represents the speed of light (which is approximately 3.0 x 10^8 m/s).
To calculate the energy released when one helium atom is formed, multiply the mass defect by c². To get the energy released when one kilogram of helium is formed, multiply the mass defect by c² and divide by Avogadro's number (approximately 6.02 x 10^23 atoms/mole) since one kilogram is equivalent to the molar mass of helium.
The steps to calculate the energy released are as follows:
1. Calculate the mass defect.
2. Use the equation E = mc², where E is the energy released, m is the mass defect, and c is the speed of light to calculate the energy released when one helium atom is formed.
3. To calculate the energy released when one kilogram of helium is formed, divide the energy released per helium atom by Avogadro's number.
Remember to use the appropriate units and conversions during your calculations.