AP Physics 2
15.7 Fission, Fusion, and Nuclear Decay
A nuclear physics researcher compares the energetic yield of fusion and fission reactions. A single fusion event between deuterium and tritium nuclei releases approximately \(18\text{ MeV}\) of energy from a total reactant mass of \(5\text{ u}\). A single fission event of a uranium-235 nucleus releases approximately \(200\text{ MeV}\) of energy from a total reactant mass of \(240\text{ u}\). Which reaction process yields a greater energy output per unit mass of reactant, and what is the approximate ratio of the energy per unit mass of fusion to that of fission, \(\dfrac{(E/m)_{\text{fusion}}}{(E/m)_{\text{fission}}}\)?
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