Zackery Sharp

Physics

26 September, 08:13

The sun, like all stars, releases energy through nuclear fusion. In this problem, you will find the total number of fusion reaction events that occur inside the sun every second. You will be considering the proton-proton chain, in which four hydrogen nuclei are converted into a helium nucleus and two positrons. The net reaction for the proton-proton chain is

411H? 42He+2?+.

To find the energy released by this reaction, you will need the following mass dа ta:

mass of 11H=1.007825u

and

mass of 42He=4.002603u.

Using the masses of the neutral atoms in your calculation accounts for the energy released by the annihilation of the positrons with electrons, so you can work this problem without reference to the positrons or their rest mass.

a. What is the total energy Q released in a single fusion reaction event for the equation given in the problem introduction?