How to Calculate Energy Released in Nuclear Fusion

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter frazzle96
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Energy Fusion
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the energy released during the nuclear fusion of tritium and deuterium, resulting in helium and a neutron. The formula used is (Σ mass (reactants) - Σ mass (products)) x 931.5 MeV/amu, which yields a theoretical energy release of approximately 17.58 MeV. The user initially calculated 18.1 MeV due to using atomic masses instead of nuclear masses for tritium. The correction highlights the importance of using precise nuclear mass values in fusion energy calculations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of nuclear fusion principles
  • Familiarity with mass-energy equivalence and binding energy calculations
  • Knowledge of atomic and nuclear mass values
  • Basic proficiency in using MeV (mega-electronvolts) as a unit of energy
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the mass of nuclei for various isotopes, including tritium and deuterium
  • Learn about the role of binding energy in nuclear reactions
  • Explore the implications of mass-energy equivalence in nuclear physics
  • Study the differences between atomic mass and nuclear mass
USEFUL FOR

Students and researchers in nuclear physics, educators teaching nuclear fusion concepts, and anyone interested in the calculations related to energy release in fusion reactions.

frazzle96
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Hi,

I'm doing some coursework on nuclear fusion, and am trying to calculate the energy released by fusing a tritium and a deuterium atom together. I used the equation:

( Σ mass (reactants) - Σ mass (products) ) x 931.5 MeV/amu = Binding energy.

and Deuterium + Tritium = Helium + neutron

I know the value should be about 17.58 MeV, however when I did it it came out as about 18.1.

The values I used are Triton: 3.0160492u , Deuteron: 2.0135532u , Helium nucleus: 4.0015061u and a neutron: 1.0086649u.

Thanks in advance

Frazer
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You're off by about 0.5 MeV, which is the mass of an electron. Are the values you quoted the mass of the atoms or the nuclei?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: 1 person
ah, I think the value I used for tritium was the atomic mass rather than the mass of the nuclei... thanks very much!
 

Similar threads

Undergrad What kind of energy is released in a nuclear fusion reaction?
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
4K
Calculating Nuclear Fusion Energy
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
High School Released energy by fusion reaction
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Undergrad Nuclear Fusion Rate: Calculating Reaction Speed & Energy
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
Undergrad Calculating Energy of Deuterium-Tritium Reaction
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Why not deuterium-proton fusion?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
7K
Graduate How to calculate the energy of Gamma rays in fusion
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
5K
Nuclear fusion energy calculations
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
8K
High School How Does an IEC Fusion Reactor Work?
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
6K
High School Nuclear Fusion energy questions
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K