One of the most powerful chemical explosives known is trinitrotoluene (TNT), which releases an energy of about

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One of the most powerful chemical explosives known is trinitrotoluene (TNT), which releases an energy of about 4.7 x 106 J for each kg of TNT that explodes. Is this energy at or near the limit of what is theoretically achievable with a chemical explosive? To estimate this limit, assume the explosive contains an organic compound of typical molecular weight that is composed of some combination of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen (such as ethanol or nitroglycerine). Assume that each of these molecules releases about 1 eV (a typical atomic or molecular binding energy) when it explodes. How much energy would 1 kg of this hypothetical explosive release when it explodes? How does your value compare with the energy released by TNT?

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