02Jun 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Fission Energy Vs. Total Energy of Uranium-235

Nature, Physics
The fission of one atom of uranium-235 releases 3.24 × 10-11 Joules of energy. One mole of atoms (235 grams) produces 6.022 x 1023 times that amount of energy.¹ How much energy is that? Energy From Splitting One Mole Uranium-235 Atoms We calculate, Eone mole 235U = 3.24 x 10-11 x 6.022 x 1023 = 1.95 x 1013 Joules or 19,500,000,000,000 Joules. This is a tremendous amount of energy. It is the energy of each mole of uranium found in an atomic bomb! It is millions of times more energy than any chemical reaction. But is this the ultimate energy matter can produce? By no means! Total Energy in One U-235 Atom When an atom of uranium is split, it does not entirely disappear. Rather, fragments are produced – atoms…
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07Jul 2018 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Fireworks Chemistry – Start With a Bang, Add Some Color

Chemistry, Entertainment
Pyrotechnics, often called fireworks, has a long history dating back to the days of gunpowder (black powder), developed in 9th-century China. Whether it is a sizzle, an explosion, or a showy display of colorful lights and sounds, the chemical reactions involve oxidation/reduction (REDOX) chemistry. What Is Oxidation? Oxidation is essentially the removal of electrons. Consider a very simple example. An uncharged sodium atom (symbol: Na) has 11 negatively-charged electrons. The atom has no net charge, however, because in its center part or nucleus, there are 11 positively-charged protons. Sodium can lose one electron to form a positively-charged ion called a cation. Now we can look at this process as if it were a mathematical equation. If we have the number 4 and we wind up with the numbers 3 and…
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