How Much Energy Is Released from Complete Conversion of 10 kg of U-235?
Discover the massive energy released when 10 kg of uranium-235 is fully converted, explained using Einstein's E=mc² formula.
Video transcript
A massive amount of energy will be released when 10 kg of U-235 is completely converted into energy. Using Einstein's equation, E=mc², where c is the speed of light (~3x10^8 m/s), approximately 9x10^16 joules of energy will be released. This is akin to the energy released by multiple nuclear explosions.
Questions and answers
What is the formula to calculate energy from mass?
Einstein's formula E=mc² calculates energy (E) from mass (m) multiplied by the speed of light squared (c²).
How much energy is released by converting 1 kg of U-235 into energy?
Approximately 9 x 10¹⁵ joules of energy are released when 1 kg of U-235 is completely converted into energy.
Why does U-235 release so much energy when converted?
Because U-235 is a radioactive isotope, converting its mass entirely into energy releases energy equivalent to several nuclear explosions due to mass-energy equivalence.