The answer is b.reaction b releases more energy than reaction a releases.
The reaction a is an example of a chemical reaction while the reaction b is an example of a nuclear reaction.
Some main differences between the chemical and nuclear reactions are:
- The nuclear reaction releases more energy per gram.
- The nuclear reaction takes place in the nucleus of the atom, while in chemical reactions include electrons.
- In the nuclear reaction, part of the mass is converted into energy, which violates the law of conservation of mass.
Therefore, the nuclear reaction (reaction b) will release more energy than the chemical reaction (reaction a).