In stars, nucleons (protons and neutrons) form nuclei of atoms via a series of fusion
reactions. If for a particular fusion reaction more energy is given off than is required to
make it proceed, does the final nucleus have a higher or lower rest mass than the sum of
the rest masses of its constituent nucleons? and why is that so??
can someone please explain it to me?
Lower. Mass must be lost if energy is to be released, in fustion or fission reactions. There may be more than one product nucleus, and neutrons also.
thanks drwls. but the person who posted the question should have mentioned the fact its an assignment question. you must only post a response to assessed questions after their due date.
Sure! I can help explain it to you.
When nucleons (protons and neutrons) fuse together in a fusion reaction, they form a nucleus of an atom. During this process, a certain amount of energy is released. To determine whether the final nucleus has a higher or lower rest mass than the sum of the rest masses of its constituent nucleons, we need to consider Einstein's famous equation, E=mc².
According to this equation, energy (E) and mass (m) are related. Energy can either be in the form of rest mass or other forms of energy like kinetic energy or potential energy. When a fusion reaction occurs, the sum of the rest masses of the nucleons decreases because some mass has been converted into energy, specifically the energy released during the fusion reaction.
The released energy, which is in the form of light or heat, corresponds to the "missing" mass. This phenomenon is known as mass-energy equivalence. Therefore, the final nucleus has a lower rest mass than the sum of the rest masses of its constituent nucleons.
To summarize, in a fusion reaction, the total rest mass of the nucleons decreases, and the difference is converted into energy, causing a release of energy. This is due to Einstein's equation E=mc², which relates energy and mass.