Question

question 26 of 28
what must you know about a nuclear reaction to calculate the amount of energy it will produce?
a. the difference between the total nuclear mass before and after the reaction
b. the sum of the total nuclear mass before and after the reaction
c. the product of the total nuclear mass before and after the reaction
d. the ratio of total nuclear mass before the reaction to the total nuclear mass after the reaction

Explanation:

According to Einstein's mass - energy equivalence formula $E = mc^{2}$, in a nuclear reaction, the energy released is related to the mass defect. The mass defect is the difference between the total nuclear mass before and after the reaction.

Answer:

A. The difference between the total nuclear mass before and after the reaction