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How to Calculate the Energy Realized of a Fusion Reaction

Sunbathing's not as simple as it might seem. In the fusion reactions that take place in the core of the sun to produce the heat and light you enjoy when you're lying on the beach, two protons fuse to form two deuterons (a type of hydrogen); the deuteron fuses with another proton to form helium-3; helium-3 and another helium-3 fuse to form beryllium-6; and beryllium-6 decomposes to two protons and helium-4. Albert Einstein's famous equation E = mc^2, or energy (E) equals mass (m) times the speed of light (c) squared, tells you why these processes are so enormously powerful. Even if the mass involved were small (and in the core of the sun, the mass involved is not small) the speed of light is so huge (2.88 x 10^8 meters per second) that the energy (E) resulting must be comparably huge.

Things You'll Need

Pencil
Paper
Scientific calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Write the weight in kilograms of the reactants of your fusion reaction. For example, your reactants are four hydrogen nuclei that weigh 6.694 x 10^(-27) kilograms.
- 2
  Write the weight in kilograms of the products of your fusion reaction. For example, your product is one helium atom that weighs 6.644 x 10^(-27) kilograms.
- 3
  Subtract the weight of the product or products of your reaction from the weight of your reactants using a scientific calculator. For example, 6.694 x 10^(-27) - 6.644 x 10^(-27) = 5.0 x 10^(-29)
- 4
  Multiply your answer by the speed of light squared using a scientific calculator. The speed of light is 2.88 x 10^8 meters per second. For example, (5.0 x 10^[-29]) x (2.88 x 10^8)^2 = 4.147 x 10(-12). The energy realized by your fusion reaction is 4.15 x 10^(-12) joules. A joule is a unit of energy representing one kilogram meter squared per second squared.

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