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# (a) Calculate the energy (in kilowatt-hours) released if 1.00 $\mathrm{kg}$ of 239 $\mathrm{Pu}$ undergoes complete fission and the energy released per fission event is 200 $\mathrm{MeV}$ . (b) Calculate the energy (in electron volts) released in the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction$$\frac{2}{1} \mathrm{H}+_{1}^{3} \mathrm{H} \rightarrow_{2}^{4} \mathrm{He}+_{0}^{1} \mathrm{n}$$(c) Calculate the energy (in kilowatt-hours) released if 1.00 $\mathrm{kg}$ of deuterium undergoes fusion according to this reaction. (d) What If? Calculate the energy (in kilowatt-hours) released by the combustion of 1.00 $\mathrm{kg}$ of carbon in coal if each $\mathrm{C}+\mathrm{O}_{2} \rightarrow \mathrm{CO}_{2}$ reaction yields 4.20 $\mathrm{eV}$ . (e) List advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods of energy generation.

## a. $2.24 \times 10^{7} \mathrm{kWh}$b. 17.6 $\mathrm{MeV}$c. $2.34 \times 10^{8} \mathrm{kWh}$d. 9.36 $\mathrm{kWh}$e. Coal is cheap and abundant but its combustion results in greenhouse gases that leads to global warming. Pu-238/D-T nuclear reactions have high energy density (energy released per kg) but Pu-238 results in radioactive by-products, while D-T fusion requires high ignition temperature due to coulomb repulsion between the two positive nuclei.

Atomic Physics

Nuclear Physics

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##### Christina K.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

LB

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National University of Singapore

#### Topics

Atomic Physics

Nuclear Physics

##### Christina K.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

LB