It takes four hydrogen nuclei to create one helium nucleus in the proton-proton chain, which is the main energy source of the Sun. If a single hydrogen nucleus has a mass of 1.6726*10-27 kg and a single helium nucleus has a mass of 6.6447*10-27 kg, how much mass is converted into energy to create three helium nuclei?

0.1371 * 10 ^ - 27 kg

Explanation:

From the question number of hydrogen nuclei used to form 3 Helium nuclei = 12 (4 * 3)

mass of the 12 hydrogen nuclei = 12 * (1.6726 * 10^-27) = 20.0712 * 10 ^-27

mass of single helium = 6.6447 * 10 ^-27 kg

therefore the mass of the 3 helium = 3 * (6.6447 * 10 ^-27) = 19.9341 * 10 ^-27 kg

The mass difference between the hydrogen and the helium used

= (20.0712 * 10^ - 27) - (19.9341 * 10 ^-27) = 0.1371 * 10 ^ - 27 kg

therefore 0.1371 * 10^-27 kg is converted into energy to create the three helium nuclei