High School

How much energy in Joules can be produced from the decay of 450,000 kg of Uranium-235?

Answer :

The decay of 450,000 kg of Uranium-235 can produce approximately 3.7 x 10²⁰ J of energy.

The decay of uranium-235 produces an enormous amount of energy.

The atomic mass of uranium-235 is 235 g/mol. Its half-life is 703.8 million years. It decays into thorium-231 and alpha particles.

To find out the amount of energy produced, we'll need to use the equation: E = mc², where,

E is the energy produced, m is the mass of the substance, and c is the speed of light (3 x 10⁸ m/s).

To calculate the amount of energy produced, we need to convert 450,000 kg of uranium-235 into grams:

= 450,000 kg x 1,000 g/kg

= 450,000,000 g

Next, we'll need to calculate the number of moles of uranium = 235:450,000,000 g / 235 g/mol

= 1,914,893.62 mol

Finally, we can calculate the energy produced: E = mc²

E = (1,914,893.62 mol) x (235 g/mol) x (3 x 10⁸ m/s)²

E = 3.7 x 10²⁰ J

Therefore, the decay of 450,000 kg of Uranium-235 can produce approximately 3.7 x 10²⁰ J of energy.

Learn more about decay of uranium-235: https://brainly.com/question/14500879

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