Mass-Energy Equivalence and Storng Nuclear Force

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of energy conservation in a tritium nucleus. The process of fusion releases potential energy as a photon, resulting in a smaller nucleus with a lower mass. This seemingly breaks the law of conservation of energy, but it can be explained by considering the mass as energy. The total energy remains the same before and after fusion.
  • #1
hyurnat4
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This really isn't a homework question per se, but I really don't want to post in the big boys' fora.

I am learning about basic modern physics at school, as the title suggests, but I am very confused on one matter. Take the tritium nucleus as an example.

If tritium nucleons are separate from each other, but still within 10-15m of each other, the particles have potential energy for the nuclear force they are experiencing. When they come together, this potential energy is released entirely as a photon.

However, this newly formed nucleus also has lost mass when compared to the sum of the individual nucleons. This mass has magically vanished and is proportional to the energy released in the photon.

Basically, if you view the magical mass as energy (which it is, at this level), conservation of energy has been broken. There is twice as much energy in the individual state (as mass and nuclear potential energy) as there is in the combined state (just a photon).

I don't suppose anyone can explain this? I feel like I'm missing something obvious here.
 
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  • #2
Basically, if you view the magical mass as energy (which it is, at this level), conservation of energy has been broken. There is twice as much energy in the individual state (as mass and nuclear potential energy) as there is in the combined state (just a photon).
What?

Initially, you have the masses of the 3 nucleons, and the total energy is just their masses (multiplied by c^2).
Then you somehow get fusion. The tritium nucleus emits radiation. The total energy is the radiated radiation plus the mass of the tritum nucleus (multiplied by c^2) - and it is the same as before. The mass of the tritium nucleus is smaller than the sum of the nuclei masses due to the negative binding energy.
 

1. What is the mass-energy equivalence equation?

The mass-energy equivalence equation, also known as Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2, states that energy (E) is equal to mass (m) multiplied by the speed of light squared (c^2).

2. How does the concept of mass-energy equivalence apply to nuclear reactions?

In nuclear reactions, the binding energy of the nucleus is released in the form of mass. This means that the total mass of the reactants before the reaction is greater than the total mass of the products after the reaction. This missing mass is converted into energy according to the mass-energy equivalence equation.

3. What is the Strong Nuclear Force and how does it relate to mass-energy equivalence?

The Strong Nuclear Force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature that acts on particles within the nucleus of an atom. It is responsible for holding the protons and neutrons together in the nucleus. The mass of a nucleus is actually slightly less than the combined mass of its individual particles due to the release of energy through the Strong Nuclear Force, in accordance with mass-energy equivalence.

4. How is the Strong Nuclear Force different from other fundamental forces?

The Strong Nuclear Force is different from other fundamental forces in several ways. It acts over a very short range, making it the strongest of the four fundamental forces. It is also the only force that can overcome the repulsive force between positively charged protons in the nucleus, keeping the nucleus stable. Additionally, the Strong Nuclear Force does not weaken with distance like the other fundamental forces.

5. Can mass be converted into energy and vice versa?

According to the mass-energy equivalence equation, mass and energy can be converted into each other. This has been demonstrated through nuclear reactions and particle accelerators, where mass is converted into energy and vice versa. However, this conversion is not a common occurrence in everyday life due to the extremely high amounts of energy involved.

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