One of the waste products of a nuclear reactor is plutonium-239 (239pu). This nucleus is radioactive and decays by splitting into a helium-4 nucleus and a uranium- 235 nucleus (239 Pu → He +235 U), the latter of which is also radioactive and will itself decay some time later. The energy emitted in the plutonium decay is 8.40x10-13 J and is entirely converted to kinetic energy of the helium and uranium nuclei. The mass of the helium nucleus is 6.68x10-27 kg, while that of the uranium is 3.91x10-25 kg (note that the ratio of the masses is 4 to 235). Calculate the velocity of the helium nucleus, assuming the plutonium nucleus is originally at rest. Submit Answer Tries 0/40 Calculate the velocity of the uranium nucleus. Submit Answer Tries 0/40 How much kinetic energy does the helium nucleus carry away? (Note that the data given here are accurate to three digits only.) Submit Answer Tries 0/40 How much kinetic energy does the uranium nucleus carry away? Submit Answer Tries 0/40 Post Discussion Send Feedback

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