The Curiosity rover sent to explore the surface of Mars has an electric generator powered by heat from the radioactive decay of 238Pu, a plutonium isotope that decays by alpha emission with a half-life of 88 years. At the start of the mission, the generator contained 9.6 × 1024 nuclei of 238Pu. What was the approximate activity of the plutonium source at the start of the mission?A. 2 × 1021 Bq B. 2 × 1019 Bq C. 2 × 1017 BqD. 2 × 1015 Bq E. 2 × 1013 Bq
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is a type of nuclear reaction. In nuclear fusion, two or more than two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. During this process, an enormous amount of energy is released. This energy is called nuclear energy. Nuclear fusion is the energy source of the sun and stars.
Fusion Bomb
A fusion bomb is also known as a thermonuclear bomb or hydrogen bomb which releases a large amount of explosive energy during a nuclear chain reaction when the lighter nuclei in it, combine to form heavier nuclei, and a large amount of radiation is released. It is an uncontrolled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction where isotopes of hydrogen combine under very high temperature to form helium. They work on the principle of operation of atomic fusion. The isotopes of Hydrogen are deuterium and tritium, where they combine their masses and have greater mass than the product nuclei, get heated at high temperatures, and releases energy.
The Curiosity rover sent to explore the surface of Mars has an electric generator powered by heat from the radioactive decay of 238Pu, a plutonium isotope that decays by alpha emission with a half-life of 88 years. At the start of the mission, the generator contained 9.6 × 1024 nuclei of 238Pu.
What was the approximate activity of the plutonium source at the start of the mission?
A. 2 × 1021 Bq B. 2 × 1019 Bq C. 2 × 1017 Bq
D. 2 × 1015 Bq E. 2 × 1013 Bq
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