Consider the fission of nuclei in a reactor.

PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Nuclear physics · Nuclear physics

Problem

Consider the fission of

^{235}\!\mathrm{U}

nuclei in a reactor. (i) Given that each fission of a

^{235}\!\mathrm{U}

nucleus releases on the average

200\,\mathrm{MeV}

of energy, calculate the energy released when one mole of

^{235}\!\mathrm{U}

undergoes complete fission. Take

1\,\mathrm{eV}=1.602\times10^{-19}\,\mathrm{J}

and Avogadro number

N_A = 6.022\times10^{23}\,\mathrm{mol^{-1}}

. (ii) Express the answer of part (i) in kilowatt-hours

(\mathrm{kWh})

. (iii) A small town requires a steady electrical power of

5.0\,\mathrm{MW}

. Assuming a thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency of

30\%

, estimate for how many days the energy obtained in part (ii) can meet the town’s demand.