Final answer:
To determine the energy released in a nuclear fission reaction, one must write the reaction equation, calculate the mass defect, and then apply Einstein's E=mc² formula using the mass defect to find the energy produced.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the energy released by a nuclear fission reaction such as the spontaneous fission of 238U into 95Sr, 140Xe, and neutrons, one must follow a sequence of steps that involve:
Writing the equation for the fission reaction.
Calculating the mass defect which is the difference between the masses of reactants and products.
Using Einstein's equation E=mc² to find the energy produced in the reaction, with 'm' being the mass defect and 'c' being the speed of light.
According to Einstein's formula, the energy released is the product of the mass destroyed and the square of the speed of light. In the provided example of spontaneous fission, the mass defect is calculated by subtracting the sum of the masses of the fission products and neutrons from the mass of the parent uranium nucleus.