Question
How long can an electric lamp of 100 W be kept glowing by fusion of 2.0 kg of deuterium? Take the fusion reaction as:
Solution
Power of the electric lamp = 100 W
When two nuclei of deuterium fuse together, energy released = 3.2 MeV
Number of deuterium atoms in 2 kg is,
Energy released when nuclei of deuterium fuse together,
If the lamp glows for time t, then the electrical energy consumed by the lamp is 100 t,
100 t =
which is the life span of an electric lamp.