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Assume one-fourth of the yield of a typical 320-kT strategic bomb comes from fission reactions averaging 200 MeV and the remainder from fusion reactions averaging 20 MeV.

a) True
b) False

User Aurea
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Final answer:

The question involves calculations related to a 320-kT bomb with stated yields from fission and fusion, using the energies released per reaction (200 MeV for fission and 20 MeV for fusion) and average atomic masses to estimate the number of reactions and the mass of material fissioned and fused.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the number of fissions and fusions and their respective fuel masses for a 320-kT strategic bomb with a stated fraction of energy yield coming from fission and fusion reactions. It applies principles from nuclear physics related to the energy produced by fission of uranium or plutonium and fusion of light nuclei. The energy yields from these reactions are given in mega electron volts (MeV), and the total yield of the bomb is given in kilotons (kT), which must be converted to the same units for calculation.

Fission reactions release about 200 MeV per event, while fusion reactions release about 20 MeV per event. To find the number of fissions and fusions, the energy yield must be converted to MeV, and from there, divided by the energy per reaction to obtain the number of reactions. The mass of the fissioned and fusion materials can then be estimated using the average atomic mass of the involved nuclei.

User AbstractKarshit
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