A portion of the Sun’s energy comes from the reaction 4 1₁H → 4₂He + 2 0_-1e, which requires a temperature of 10⁶ to 10⁷ K. Use the mass of the helium-4 nucleus given in Table 21.7 to determine how much energy is released per mol of hydrogen atoms.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Identify the nuclear reaction involved. The reaction is 4 protons (hydrogen nuclei) combining to form one helium-4 nucleus and two positrons.
2. Step 2: Determine the mass defect. Calculate the difference in mass between the reactants (4 hydrogen nuclei) and the products (1 helium-4 nucleus and 2 positrons). Use the given mass of the helium-4 nucleus and standard masses for protons and positrons.
3. Step 3: Convert the mass defect to energy. Use Einstein's equation, \( E = \Delta m c^2 \), where \( \Delta m \) is the mass defect and \( c \) is the speed of light, to find the energy released per reaction.
4. Step 4: Calculate the energy per mole. Since the reaction involves 4 hydrogen atoms, convert the energy per reaction to energy per mole by multiplying by Avogadro's number (\( 6.022 \times 10^{23} \) mol\(^{-1}\)).
5. Step 5: Summarize the result. The final step is to express the energy released per mole of hydrogen atoms in appropriate units, such as kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).