Chapter 20, Problem 39R

To determine

To Compare: Energies involved in nuclear reactions and chemical reactions.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

According to the Mass-energy equivalence, the mass and energy are interconvertible to each other.

  $\mathrm{E}=\mathrm{m}{\mathrm{c}}^2$

Where,

  $\mathrm{m}$ = mass

  $\mathrm{c}$ = speed of light

  $\mathrm{E}$ = energy

Mass energy equivalence relation can be easily observed in the reactions in which large energies are involved like nuclear fusion and fission. In the nuclear fusion and fission large amount of energies are involved. Hence mass energy equivalence become apparent in these kind of reactions while in the chemical reactions very small amount of energies are involved in comparison to the nuclear reactions due to which mass energy equivalence does not become apparent in these kind of reactions.