(This may sound dumb and i think im just missing a basic piece of energy production) I know how nuclear fission works, neutrons are fired as a nucleus which produces a unstable nucleus that then splits into 2 product nuclei and a select number of neutrons and releases an amount of energy (ie. U 235 -> u 236 -> Ba141 + kr92 + 3 neutrons + Q) but why is Q (energy) produced.
Mass is maintained so I don’t see why it needs to release energy especially one so disproportionate to its mass. Is it the break of the strong nuclear force that causes such a large energy output ?
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Simply put, there’s a TON of energy in mass. I’m face, that’s what E = mc^2 comes from.
And when c is the speed of light, energy gets huge for even tiny amounts of energy.
Also remember that there’s not just one atom undergoing this process. There are millions if not hundreds of billions of this process going on at the same time.
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