A nuclear power station delivers a steady electrical output of 1000MW with an overall efficiency of 30%. The energy released per fission of 235U is 200MeV.
(i) Calculate the thermal power that must be produced in the reactor core.
(ii) Determine the number of fissions occurring per second to supply this thermal power.
(iii) Find the mass of 235U consumed per day of operation.
(iv) Compute the actual decrease in mass of the reactor fuel corresponding to the energy released per day and comment on its magnitude with respect to the mass consumed in part (iii).