Quote:
Originally Posted by erikvv
So the end products from burning coal dont weigh less than the coal itself (albeit an unmeasurable difference)? Are you absolutely sure of that?
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Absolutely! When we burn coal we do this:
Coal(mainly carbon and hydrogen) + oxygen -> water + carbon dioxides
That's called combustion. The mass is equal on both sides.
When we split the atom we do this:
U-235 + neutron-1 -> Kr-92 + Ba-141 + gamma rays
On the left the mass is 235+1=236 and the right is 92+141=233
We have lost three units of mass as the gamma rays and motion of the lighter elements. This is our energy. The process is called fission.