# Q2Q QQ (1 Viewer)

#### Menomaths

##### Exaı̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸lted Member
2011 HSC question from Quanta to Quarks:

23592U+10n$\bg_white \rightarrow$14056Ba+9236Kr+410n

Explain why energy is released in this reaction.

Energy is released because the mass of the products of this reaction is less than the mass
of the reactants.
This ‘missing’ mass is converted to energy through the equation E = mc

When I add up the mass of U and the neutron (I'm assuming I'm not supposed to add the mass of the neutron?) it equals the mass of RHS(including the 4 neutrons)

#### Parvee

##### (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
uhm I'm pretty sure you're not meant to explicitly work out the energy released since they didn't give the exact masses of the isotopes ( if these were given you would find that the reactants>products)

So to answer it you know that for energy to be released the mass of reactants should be greater than the mass of products, and to work out the energy you use E=mc^2
Which is practically what the answers say

I think thats how you would answer it :L

#### Menomaths

##### Exaı̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸lted Member
Yeh, just realized I'm not supposed to add up the atomic masses because their rounded up ^.^ silly me

Thanks