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.

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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.

FAQs & Answers

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.