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alancj
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I'm working on my very last question of the last exam of the last class for my corespondents high school program. Almost done! But I need help on this one. I've spent too much time on it already but I still don't know how to answer it.
"Complete each equation. Classify each as nuclear fission or nuclear fusion:
(a.) 239/94 Pu + 1/0 N -----> ________________ + 3 (1/0 N) + _________________
(b.) 2/1 H + 3/1 H ------> 4/2 He + __________________ + _________________ "
The above numbers (x/y) is a super-script and sub-script respectively.
Above
Classifying them is easy enough, (a.) is fission and (b.) is fusion. I also found from Wikipedia's Fusion article what I think is the right answer. In the first blank I have 1 neutron and in the second blank I've given the total energy released of 17.6 MeV. I don't know if I should try and show how that would be calculated, by finding the mass defect and using E=mc^2.
part (a.) is more difficult because from the research I've done the is no single pair of isotopes that Pu-239 will always split into. There are dozens of different elements and isotopes it could break into. All I know is that the protons & neutrons on the right side should add up to the left side. My textbook only has one chapter on Nuclear Physics and does not give more than a few paragraphs on fission. So it doesn't really give me the information of how to solve this.
So since there is no one answer for it I thought I would try and find a generic example of a common (most probable) way a Pu atom could fission, and use that. I never could find anything spelled out (unlike for U 235 which I've found many example equations), just some probability graphs from Wikipedia's Fission product yield article. I've tried Xe and Zr or Tc and Sb or Rh and Sn, but I can't find any real isotopes of those that actually add together to balance the equation out. Is there any two isotopes that could be used to "fill in the blanks" in question (a.) or is it more likely to be 3 isotopes and I need to add a "blank" to their equation? Also should I include the energy released from the reaction, like I did with (b.)?
Thanks for the help.
Alan
Homework Statement
"Complete each equation. Classify each as nuclear fission or nuclear fusion:
(a.) 239/94 Pu + 1/0 N -----> ________________ + 3 (1/0 N) + _________________
(b.) 2/1 H + 3/1 H ------> 4/2 He + __________________ + _________________ "
The above numbers (x/y) is a super-script and sub-script respectively.
Homework Equations
Above
The Attempt at a Solution
Classifying them is easy enough, (a.) is fission and (b.) is fusion. I also found from Wikipedia's Fusion article what I think is the right answer. In the first blank I have 1 neutron and in the second blank I've given the total energy released of 17.6 MeV. I don't know if I should try and show how that would be calculated, by finding the mass defect and using E=mc^2.
part (a.) is more difficult because from the research I've done the is no single pair of isotopes that Pu-239 will always split into. There are dozens of different elements and isotopes it could break into. All I know is that the protons & neutrons on the right side should add up to the left side. My textbook only has one chapter on Nuclear Physics and does not give more than a few paragraphs on fission. So it doesn't really give me the information of how to solve this.
So since there is no one answer for it I thought I would try and find a generic example of a common (most probable) way a Pu atom could fission, and use that. I never could find anything spelled out (unlike for U 235 which I've found many example equations), just some probability graphs from Wikipedia's Fission product yield article. I've tried Xe and Zr or Tc and Sb or Rh and Sn, but I can't find any real isotopes of those that actually add together to balance the equation out. Is there any two isotopes that could be used to "fill in the blanks" in question (a.) or is it more likely to be 3 isotopes and I need to add a "blank" to their equation? Also should I include the energy released from the reaction, like I did with (b.)?
Thanks for the help.
Alan