NEETPhysicsNuclear Physics
Given below are two statements: One is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A) : Fission reactions are exothermic. Reason (R) : Total mass of fragments is lesser than the total mass of reactants. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
Options
- ABoth (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- BBoth (A) and (R) are true and (R) is NOT the correct explanation of (A).
- C(A) is true but (R) is false.
- D(A) is false but (R) is true.
Correct answer
A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Step-by-step solution
Assertion (A) states: "Fission reactions are exothermic." This statement is true because fission releases a large amount of energy. Reason (R) states: "Total mass of fragments is lesser than the total mass of reactants." This statement is also true and is the correct explanation for why fission reactions are exothermic. The mass defect (difference in mass) is converted into energy according to ( E = mc ^2 ). Therefore, both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). This corresponds to option