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About how much energy does the average nuclear fission reaction release?
A200 MeV per event
B20 MeV per event
C2 MeV per event
D2,000 MeV per event
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. 200 MeV per event
1. Fission releases an enormous amount of energy compared with chemical reactions.
2. The average fission reaction is stated to produce 200 MeV of energy.
3. 20 MeV and 2 MeV understate this value by one and two orders of magnitude.
4. 2,000 MeV overstates it by a factor of ten.
5. So 200 MeV is correct.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "The Atom", section 22.4 Nuclear Fission and Fusion_
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