Question

When the plutonium bomb was tested in New Mexico in 1945, approximately 1 gram of matter was converted into energy. Suppose another bomb is tested, and 3.6 grams of matter are converted into energy. How many joules of energy are released by the explosion?

Answer 1

`1.08 * 10^(14) J`

Step-by-step explanation:

Energy and mass are related by the famous equation developed by Albert Einstein:

`E = mc^2`

where m = mass and c = speed of light

This equation explains that an object with very small mass can produce a large amount of energy in reactions such as a nuclear reaction.

Hence, the energy produced by the explosion of a Plutonium bomb containing 3.6 grams of matter is:

`E = 3.6 * 10^(-3) * (3 * 10^8)^2`

E =
`1.08 * 10^(14) J`