Estimating the energy released in fission

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SUMMARY

The energy released during the fission of one 235U nucleus can be estimated using the masses of the resulting nuclei, specifically 141Cs and 93Rb, along with the mass of a neutron. The total mass of the fission products (Cs and Rb) plus the neutron must be compared to the original mass of the 235U nucleus to calculate the mass deficit. This mass deficit can then be converted into energy using Einstein's equation, E=mc². The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding mass-energy equivalence in nuclear reactions.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of nuclear fission processes
  • Familiarity with mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²)
  • Knowledge of isotopes, specifically Uranium-235 (235U), Cesium-141 (141Cs), and Rubidium-93 (93Rb)
  • Basic grasp of nuclear physics constants, including neutron mass
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the calculation of mass defect in nuclear reactions
  • Study the energy yield per fission event for various isotopes
  • Explore advanced topics in nuclear physics, such as neutron-induced fission
  • Learn about the applications of fission energy in nuclear reactors
USEFUL FOR

Students preparing for exams in nuclear physics, educators teaching fission concepts, and anyone interested in the energy calculations associated with nuclear reactions.

Fixxxer125
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Hi
I have been asked in a past exam paper to estimate the energy released by the fission of one 235U nucleus. I am given the mass of a 235U nucleus and also 141Cs nucleus and 93Rb nucleus in the 'Useful constants and formula' section of the exam so I wondered if I had to use these, although obviously 141 and 93 do not sum to 235 so I wondered if there was a method to estimate the energy released by a fission without using mass differences etc, like if you just used an estimate of the energy released per nucleon in fission or something? Many Thanks
 
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Did the 'Useful constants and formulae' also contain the mass of the neutron? ;)
 
Ah yea so do you add the neutron mass to the Rb and Cs nuclei and make this the products and calculate the mass deficit this way?
 

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