Question

It takes four hydrogen nuclei to create one helium nucleus in the proton–proton chain, which is the main energy source of the Sun. If a single hydrogen nucleus has a mass of 1.6726×10−27 kg and a single helium nucleus has a mass of 6.6447×10−27 kg , how much mass is converted into energy to create three helium nuclei?

Answer 1

Answer:

0.1371 * 10 ^ -27 kg

Explanation:

From the question number of hydrogen nuclei used to form 3 Helium nuclei = 12 ( 4 * 3 )

mass of the 12 hydrogen nuclei = 12 *( 1.6726 *10^-27) = 20.0712 * 10 ^-27

mass of single helium = 6.6447 * 10 ^-27 kg

therefore the mass of the 3 helium = 3 *( 6.6447 *10 ^-27) = 19.9341 * 10 ^-27 kg

The mass difference between the hydrogen and the helium used

= (20.0712 * 10^ -27)  - (19.9341 * 10 ^-27) = 0.1371 * 10 ^ -27 kg

therefore 0.1371 * 10^-27 kg  is converted into energy to create the three helium nuclei