Uranium-238 decays into thorium-234 plus an alpha particle. The known masses are $\begin{array} { l } 4 \ 2 \end{array}$ He: 4.002603 u $\begin{array} { c } 224 \ 90 \end{array}$ Th: 234.043583 u $\begin{array} { c } 238 \ 92 \end{array}$ U: 238.050786 u How much energy is released in this process? (1 u = 931.5 MeV/c²)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A because the mass of the reactants is greater than the mass of the products, so energy must be released. The energy released can be calculated using the mass-energy equivalence equation: E=mc^2. The mass difference between the reactants and products is: 238.050786 u - 4.002603 u - 234.043583 u = 0.004598 u. Converting this to energy, we get: E = (0.004598 u) * (931.5 MeV/c^2) = 4.28 MeV.

Uranium-238 Decays into Thorium-234 Plus an Alpha Particle 42\begin{array} { l } 4 \\2\end{array}42​

Uranium-238 Decays into Thorium-234 Plus an Alpha Particle $\begin{array} { l } 4 \\2\end{array}$