The "disappearance" of a small amount of mass in a nuclear reaction produces which of the following?

Question

A. a small amount of energy
B. no energy
C. a large amount of energy
D. extra electrons

Answer 1

C is the right answer. We can calculate the amount of energy produced by using the famous equation E = m.c^2 where m is the mass that has disappeared, E is the energy that is produced and c is the velocity of light in vacuum. Since c is a large number and is squared, E will be large for small m also.

Answer 2

The disapperance of a small amount of mass in nuclear reaction produces a large amount of energy (C) (this energy is released from the nucleus binding enrgy), thats why such enormous amounts of energy are released in nuclear weapons or reactors. To be precise 1 U-235 atom, when it splits, after being hit by a thermal neutron, releases at around 200MeV energy. This is a huge amount of energy taking in consideration the tiny climax we are talking about. Just do the following calculation: 1kg of U-235 contains 1/235 moles approximately of U-235 atoms=>1/235*6,023*10^23 U-235 atoms. If all of them get split the energy relesed is 1/235*6,023*10^23*200MeV =5,12*10^13 joules!

Answer 3

One of the important ideas in modern physics is that matter and energy are different forms of the same thing. In the same way that energy cannot be created or destroyed, matter cannot be created or destroyed. Energy and matter can, however, change. When matter "disappears", energy is "created". When energy "disappears", matter is "created". A better point of view in these situations is to realize that matter is changing into energy and/or energy is changing into matter (they are changing form). The equivalence ratio between matter and energy is quite something. A small amount of matter is equivalent to a very large amount of energy. Think of the size of a nuclear bomb and realize that the energy produced by it could vaporize most of a large city.

Answer 4

a large amount of energy