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← ScienceWhich energy generation mechanism fuels a decaying plutonium-238 Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG)?
A)Thermoelectric conversion via Seebeck Effect
B)Fission chain reaction within fuel
C)Beta decay heating via kinetic energy
D)Alpha decay energy into thermal energy✓
💡 Explanation
RTGs employ alpha decay's nuclear transmutation, where the kinetic energy of alpha particles subsequently becomes thermal energy because plutonium-238 releases alpha particles which get absorbed within the material, rather than starting a fission reaction that needs critical mass.
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