Q value (nuclear science)
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For other uses, see Q value.
In nuclear physics and chemistry, the Q value for a reaction is the amount of energy absorbed or released during the nuclear reaction. The value relates to the enthalpy of a chemical reaction or the energy of radioactive decay products. It can be determined from the masses of reactants and products. Q values affect reaction rates. In general, the larger the positive Q value for the reaction, the faster the reaction proceeds, and the more likely the reaction is to "favor" the products.
where the masses are in atomic mass units. Also, both and are the sums of the reactant and product masses respectively.