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Calculate the energy released in the neutron-induced fission reaction

a) 140 MeV
b) 160 MeV
c) 180 MeV
d) 200 MeV

User Tarin
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The energy released in a neutron-induced fission reaction is calculated using the mass-energy equivalence principle, subtracting the total mass of the products from reactants and then converting the mass defect to energy. The inclusion of the initial neutron usually makes the energy released in neutron-induced fission higher than in spontaneous fission. Conservation of nucleons and charge is verified by ensuring the sums of both are equal on both sides of the equation.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the energy released in the neutron-induced fission reaction, we can apply the mass-energy equivalence principle. The energy released (Q value) in a nuclear reaction can be calculated using the equation:

E = (mass of reactants - mass of products) × c²

where E is the energy released, c is the speed of light, and the mass is in atomic mass units (u). The mass of each particle involved is given in the question, including the mass of neutron-induced fission products such as strontium (Sr) and xenon (Xe).

To find the mass defect, we subtract the total mass of the products from the total mass of the reactants. The mass defect is then converted into energy (MeV) using the conversion factor 1 u = 931.5 MeV/c². As the question suggests a comparison with spontaneous fission, the energy released in neutron-induced fission is typically higher because the initial neutron contributes to the energy balance.

Lastly, to confirm the conservation of nucleons and charge, add up the nucleons (protons + neutrons) and the charges (protons) for each side of the equation to ensure they are equal.

Please remember that the exact mass values must be used as provided in the question to calculate the correct energy released.

User Waleed Almadanat
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