Calculate the energy released in joules when one mole of polonium-214 decays according to the equation [Atomic masses: Pb-210 = 209.98284 amu, Po-214 = 213.99519 amu, He-4 = 4.00260 amu.]

Question

Calculate the energy released in joules when one mole of polonium-214 decays according to the equation  [Atomic masses: Pb-210 = 209.98284 amu, Po-214 = 213.99519 amu, He-4 = 4.00260 amu.]

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

First, let's write the nuclear equation for the decay:
214 214 210
Po → Pb + He
84 82 2
Using the atomic masses given, we can calculate the mass difference:
(213.99519 amu) - (209.98284 amu + 4.00260 amu) = 0.00975 amu
Since 1 amu is equivalent to 1.66 x 10^-27 kg, we can convert to Joules using E=mc^2:
E = (0.00975 amu)(1.66 x 10^-27 kg/amu)(3.00 x 10^8 m/s)^2 = 8.78 x 10^10 J/mol
Therefore, the correct answer is C).

Calculate the Energy Released in Joules When One Mole of Polonium-214