PDA

View Full Version : Three helium nuclei fuse together, forming one carbon nucleus. The mass of carbon is


debe8369
May 2, 2011, 07:02 PM
Three helium nuclei fuse together, forming one carbon nucleus. The mass of carbon is less than
Three times the mass of helium. When helium fuses into carbon, which of the following occurs?
a. Rest‐mass energy is converted into some other form of energy
b. Some other form of energy is converted into rest‐mass energy
c. The chemical reaction changed the total mass
d. The mass of three helium nuclei turned into one carbon nucleus and other smaller
Particles, such as protons and neutrons.

smoothy
May 2, 2011, 07:06 PM
Site rules for homework...


Read this first:

Expectations for the Homework Help board
Do not simply retype or paste a question from your book or study material

We won't do your homework questions for you.
You were given the assignment for you to learn.

If you come up with your own answer and post it for us to critique that is within reason.

If you have some SPECIFIC questions that you couldn't find or didn't understand, we may help with that.
But this is your assignment, so show us you have at least attempted to complete it on your own.

Thank you.

Unknown008
May 3, 2011, 09:38 AM
Since the mass of the 3 helium nuclei together do not give the mass of a carbon nucleus, this means that some of the mass of the helium went somewhere. Where do you think they have gone?

What do you know about the rest mass energy? Can you apply this here?