AP Physics 2
15.7 Fission, Fusion, and Nuclear Decay
In a proposed nuclear fusion reactor, a deuterium nucleus (\(^2_1\text{H}\)) fuses with a tritium nucleus (\(^3_1\text{H}\)) to produce a helium-4 nucleus (\(^4_2\text{He}\)) and a neutron (\(^1_0\text{n}\)). The rest masses of the particles are given in the table below:
Given that \(1\text{ u} \approx 931.5\text{ MeV/c}^2\), what is the total energy released in this single fusion reaction?
| Particle | Rest Mass (u) |
|---|---|
| Deuterium (\(^2_1\text{H}\)) | 2.0141 |
| Tritium (\(^3_1\text{H}\)) | 3.0160 |
| Helium-4 (\(^4_2\text{He}\)) | 4.0015 |
| Neutron (\(^1_0\text{n}\)) | 1.0086 |
Given that \(1\text{ u} \approx 931.5\text{ MeV/c}^2\), what is the total energy released in this single fusion reaction?
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