The energy that is released by a nuclear weapon was put into the weapon's fissionable core in the process of
A) heating and melting the fissionable materials when the core is being fabricated.
B) assembling each of the core's fissionable nuclei from smaller nuclear pieces.
C) separating the core's fissionable nuclei from the non-fissionable nuclei with which they are normally found.
D) raising the core's fissionable materials from deep in the earth where they were mined.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy released by a nuclear weapon originates from the process of assembling each of the core's fissionable nuclei from smaller nuclear pieces. This involves nuclear reactions that convert mass into energy, as described by Einstein's equation E=mc^2, where the binding energy of the nucleus is released.

The Energy That Is Released by a Nuclear Weapon Was