Assume that immediately after the fission of 236U according to Eq. 43-1, the resulting 140Xe and 94Sr nuclei are just touching at their surfaces. (a) Assuming the nuclei to be spherical, calculate the electric potential energy associated with the repulsion between the two fragments. (b) Compare this energy with the energy released in a typical fission event.
Nuclear Fission
Nuclear fission is a type of nuclear reaction in which heavier nuclei split into lighter nuclei by releasing a large quantity of energy. The elements like uranium-235 and plutonium-239 isotope undergo nuclear fission releasing energy. When nuclei undergo fission, some quantity of mass is lost. The lost mass is converted to nuclear energy. Nuclear fission reaction is used in nuclear power plants and atomic bombs. In nuclear power plants, nuclear reactors are used to generate electricity.
Endothermic Nuclear Reaction
A nuclear reaction can be described as a process where two atoms, or two nuclei or nucleus and subatomic particles such as a proton, neutron interact together, and a large amount of energy is produced and new elements are also produced.
Assume that immediately after the fission of 236U according
to Eq. 43-1, the resulting 140Xe and 94Sr nuclei are just touching
at their surfaces. (a) Assuming the nuclei to be spherical, calculate
the electric potential energy associated with the repulsion between
the two fragments. (b) Compare this energy with the energy released in a
typical fission event.
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