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  • Conservation Laws in Nuclear Reactions: Charge, Mass-Energy, and Momentum
    In a nuclear reaction, the following must be conserved:

    * Charge: The total charge of the reactants must equal the total charge of the products.

    * Mass-energy: This is a bit more complex than just "mass". According to Einstein's famous equation E=mc², mass and energy are interchangeable. So, while the mass might not be exactly the same before and after the reaction, the total mass-energy will be conserved.

    * Momentum: The total momentum of the system (including any emitted particles) must remain constant.

    * Angular momentum: The total angular momentum (spin) of the system must also remain constant.

    * Baryon number: The total number of baryons (protons and neutrons) must be conserved.

    * Lepton number: The total number of leptons (electrons and neutrinos) must be conserved.

    It's important to note that while the number of protons and neutrons individually might not be conserved, the *total* number of baryons (protons + neutrons) will always remain the same. The same principle applies to leptons.

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