Calculate the energy released in the nuclear reaction ²²³ Ra ²⁰⁹ Pb + ¹⁴ C . The necessary atomic masses are provided below. ²²³ Ra ²⁰⁹ Pb ¹⁴ C 223.018 u 208.981 u 14.003 u

Step-by-step solution

The mass defect m in the given nuclear reaction is calculated as: m = M(²²³ Ra ) - [M(²⁰⁹ Pb ) + M(¹⁴ C )] Substituting the given values: m = 223.018 - (208.981 + 14.003) m = 223.018 - 222.984 = 0.034 u The energy released Q is given by: Q = m 931 MeV/u Q = 0.034 931 MeV = 31.654 MeV This is approximately 31.65 MeV .