Quick questions on Mass-energy equivalence: WACE Year 12 Physics Unit 4

Nuclear masses are conveniently measured in unified atomic mass units, where $1\ \text{u}=1.661\times10^{-27}\ \text{kg}$. Converting a mass of $1\ \text{u}$ entirely to energy gives

At high speed the total energy of a particle is $E=\gamma mc^2$, which separates into the rest energy $mc^2$ (present even at rest) and the kinetic energy. At low speeds this reduces to the familiar $\tfrac{1}{2}mv^2$. The rest energy term is what becomes available when mass is destroyed in a reaction.

For nuclear questions, working in atomic mass units and multiplying by $931.5\ \text{MeV per u}$ is fastest. If asked for joules, convert at the end. Always take the mass change as products minus reactants, and use its magnitude for the energy released.