Mod 8 mass loss (1 Viewer)

[NexusRich]

During a radioactive decay reaction, if the mass of the reactants is greater than mass of products, then mass is lost. I know that it is transformed into enery on the products side of the equation, but what exactly is that energy ? (is it potential energy, KE or radiation energy?)

 

[DarkOperator618]

During a radioactive decay reaction, if the mass of the reactants is greater than mass of products, then mass is lost. I know that it is transformed into enery on the products side of the equation, but what exactly is that energy ? (is it potential energy, KE or radiation energy?)

radiation energy iirc, determined by mass equivalence equation

 

[wizzkids]

Good question, the mass loss appears as energy of many forms - the specific forms depend on the nature of the decay mechanism. The decay products will have kinetic energy, which is heat. Nuclear fission gives rise to kinetic energy of the daughter nuclides and kinetic energy of the daughter neutrons. The mechanism could be pure alpha-emission or pure beta-emission, and these particles carry away kinetic energy. The neutrino also carries away kinetic energy and momentum in beta-decay. Alpha and Beta decay is often accompanied by gamma photon emission when the nucleus relaxes from a metastable state. Gamma emission is electromagnetic energy.
Does that answer your question?