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Polaris417
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How is the mass defect from a nuclear reaction created?
Thanks for the help :)
Thanks for the help :)
mfb said:Physics cannot answer "how" questions on a fundamental level.
Mass is "just" a type of energy. One type of energy is converted to a different one.
@Grinkle: fusion is a nuclear reaction as well.
The process of converting mass into energy is known as nuclear fusion or fission. In nuclear fusion, the nuclei of two atoms combine to form a larger nucleus, releasing a significant amount of energy. In nuclear fission, the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller fragments, also releasing energy.
The equation for the conversion of mass into energy is E=mc^2, where E represents energy, m represents mass, and c is the speed of light. This equation was proposed by Albert Einstein in his theory of relativity.
During a nuclear reaction, a small portion of the mass of the particles involved is converted into energy. This energy is released in the form of electromagnetic radiation, such as gamma rays or heat. The amount of energy released depends on the mass difference between the initial and final states of the reaction.
The amount of energy released during nuclear reactions is influenced by several factors, including the masses of the initial and final particles, the type of reaction (fusion or fission), and the binding energy of the particles involved. The binding energy is the energy required to hold the nucleus together.
According to Einstein's famous equation, any amount of mass can theoretically be converted into energy. However, this process is not feasible on a large scale and is only observed in extremely high-energy processes, such as nuclear reactions. The amount of energy released is also limited by the mass-energy equivalence principle.