A nuclear reaction

A nuclear reaction is a process in which two

nuclei, or a nucleus and an outer subatomic
particle, collide to produce one or more new
nuclei. Therefore, a nuclear reaction must
cause the transformation of at least one
nucleus into another.
total charge and the total number of nucleons must be conserved in any
nuclear reaction

For example: 6Li(p, α)4He.

- This pattern has the form X(a,b)Y which is equivalent to X + a

produces b + Y. Typically p for proton, n for neutron, d for deuteron, α
represents particle alpha or helium-4, β for beta particles or electrons, γ
for gamma photons, and so on.

- The above reaction will be written as 6 Li(d,α)α

 Energy
Q = mc2
conservation
the 63Li nucleus has a standard atomic weight of 6.015 atomic mass units, the
deuterium has 2.014 u, and the helium-4 nucleus has 4.0026 u

• the sum of the rest mass of the individual nuclei = 6.015 + 2.014 = 8.029 u;

• the total rest mass on the two helium-nuclei = 2 × 4.0026 = 8.0052 u;

• missing rest mass = 8.029 – 8.0052 = 0.0238 u.

u c2 = (1.66054 × 10−27 kg) × (2.99792 × 108 m/s)2 
= 1.49242 × 10−10 kg (m/s)2 = 1.49242 × 10−10 J (joule) × (1 MeV / 1.60218 × 10−13 J)
= 931.49 MeV

=> Hence, the energy released is 0.0238 × 931 MeV = 22.2 MeV.

Target nucleus + projectile → Final nucleus + ejectile + Q.