In a nuclear fusion process, four protons each of mass Mp were fused to produce a nucleus X of mass Mx. Which of the following equations is CORRECT?

Answer Details

In a nuclear fusion process, four protons combine to form a nucleus X. According to the law of conservation of mass, the mass of the products of a chemical reaction must be equal to the mass of the reactants. Since the total mass of the four protons before fusion is 4M_p, the total mass of the resulting nucleus X after fusion must also be 4M_p. Therefore, the correct equation is 4M_p = M_x. Option (b) is correct.