Atomic Mass of Tritium Deuterium - Caveman Logic

In summary, tritium deuterium has 47 times less mass than U-235 and the reason for this is due to the binding energy per nucleon. The reaction of d+t produces a tightly bound alpha particle and a neutron, releasing a total of 17.6 MeV. In contrast, the fission of U-235 releases about 170 MeV, along with other forms of energy. Adding the atomic masses of D and T gives a combined mass of 5.03015098, while the atomic mass of U-235 is 235.0439299. Dividing these two values gives a result of approximately 47, as stated earlier.
  • #1
RADboy
13
0
someone told me that tritium deuterium has 47 times less mass than U-235 but, tritium's atomic mass is 3 and deuterium's is 2. myself being a caveman decided to add those together to get the atomic mass of tritium deuterium. any insight this would be appreciated
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
RADboy said:
someone told me that tritium deuterium has 47 times less mass than U-235 but, tritium's atomic mass is 3 and deuterium's is 2. myself being a caveman decided to add those together to get the atomic mass of tritium deuterium. any insight this would be appreciated
It comes down to binding energy per nucleon.

The He nucleus is pretty tightly bound. The d+t reaction produces a tightly bound alpha particle (He nucleus) + a neutron. The reaction releases 17.6 MeV, of which 3.5 MeV goes to the alpha particle and 14.1 MeV goes to the neutron.

Ah U235 nucleus absorbs a neutron, becomes U-236 in an excited state. It has probability of about 84% that it will fission and release about 170 MeV of kinetic energy in the fission products, about 5 MeV in neutrons (2 or 3), prompt gamma rays, and gamma rays and beta particles from the fission products. There is also about 10-12 MeV in neutrinos, but they are not recoverable; they just zip out of the reactor and out into space with some penetrating the Earth on their way out.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/nucbin.html#c2
 
  • #3
RADboy said:
someone told me that tritium deuterium has 47 times less mass than U-235 but, tritium's atomic mass is 3 and deuterium's is 2. myself being a caveman decided to add those together to get the atomic mass of tritium deuterium. any insight this would be appreciated

Adding together the atomic mass of D and T gives me 5.03015098, and the atomic mass of U-235 is 235.0439299. Divide that by the combined d-t mass equals 46.72701933516361371721689355734. Or about 47.
 

What is the atomic mass of tritium and deuterium?

The atomic mass of tritium is approximately 3.016 amu (atomic mass units) and the atomic mass of deuterium is approximately 2.014 amu.

How is the atomic mass of an atom determined?

The atomic mass of an atom is determined by adding up the masses of its protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons contribute to most of the mass, while electrons contribute very little.

Why are the atomic masses of tritium and deuterium different?

The atomic masses of tritium and deuterium are different because they have different numbers of neutrons. Tritium has one neutron, while deuterium has two neutrons. This difference in neutron number results in a difference in mass.

How does atomic mass relate to an element's isotopes?

Atomic mass takes into account the different isotopes of an element by considering their relative abundance and mass. The atomic mass listed on the periodic table is an average of all the naturally occurring isotopes of an element.

How does understanding atomic mass contribute to our understanding of chemistry?

Understanding atomic mass allows us to accurately calculate and predict the behavior of atoms in chemical reactions. It also helps us identify and distinguish between different elements and their isotopes.

Similar threads

  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
53
Views
83K
Replies
25
Views
7K
  • Nuclear Engineering
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Nuclear Engineering
2
Replies
46
Views
12K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
19
Views
3K
Replies
28
Views
6K
Replies
2
Views
662
Replies
6
Views
1K
Back
Top