The natural fission reactor is estimated to have generated 15 gigawatt-years of energy during its lifetime. (a) If the reactor has lasted for 200,000 y, we have to calculate the average power level at which it operated. (b) We have to find the amount of that it consumed during its lifetime.

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(a)

A natural fission reactor is estimated to have generated 15 gigawatt-years of energy during its lifetime. The reactor has lasted for 200,000 y.

Therefore, the average power level at which it operated was

(b)

We take that average yield of energy per fission of is 200 MeV. Therefore, the total numbers of fissions that would have released 15 gigawatt-years of energy will be

The amount of that will contain atoms of will be