In a particular fission event the compound nucleus splits according to .

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

Problem

In a particular fission event the compound nucleus

^{236}\text{U}

splits according to

^{236}\text{U}\;\to\;^{90}\text{Sr}+^{144}\text{Xe}+2\,^{1}\text{n}

. (i) Using the atomic masses

^{236}\text{U}=236.0456\,\text{u}

^{90}\text{Sr}=89.9077\,\text{u}

^{144}\text{Xe}=143.9229\,\text{u}

and

^{1}\text{n}=1.00866\,\text{u}

, calculate the total energy

Q

released in the fission. Take

1\,\text{u}=931.5\,\text{MeV}/c^{2}

. (ii) Experimental measurements show that

2\%

of the energy

Q

appears as the combined kinetic energy of the two emitted neutrons. Find the average kinetic energy of each neutron in \text{MeV}. (iii) The remaining

98\%

Q

appears as kinetic energy of the two fission fragments. Assuming that the fragments share this energy inversely in proportion to their masses, calculate the kinetic energy received by the

^{90}\text{Sr}

and

^{144}\text{Xe}

nuclei separately (in \text{MeV}).

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