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When atoms undergo nuclear fission , the result is always two different atoms very much less massive than the parent. For fusion, the resulting atom or atoms are usually of a different element, but not always.
Part of the trick to understanding this is that in these types of reactions, the numbers of protons and neutrons going in has to be the same as the number coming out, though some of the decay reactions other than fission turn a proton into a neutron or the other way around. Another thing to remember is that the number of protons determines the element of an atom.
FusionWhen we fuse atoms, we are taking neutrons and protons from the nuclei of the two atoms and putting them into a single daughter atom. A typical example of a fusion reaction is:12H + 12H --> 23He + 01n
In this reaction, the symbol 12H represents hydrogen (atomic symbol H), with the 2 indicating the number of protons plus the number of neutrons, and 1 being the number of protons; this can be read as hydrogen-2. Similarly, 23He is helium-3, and 01n is a silly way to represent a neutron, but it makes the balancing of the equation obvious.
We might imagine that fusion always produces an atom of a new element, but this is not the case. It is possible to fuse two helium atoms to produce a heavier helium atom plus a pair of protons, which are essentially hydrogen atoms. A reaction follows:
23He + 23He --> 24He + 11p + 11p
So two atoms of helium are combined to produce one atom of helium plus a couple of particles.
FissionAtoms have to be pretty heavy to undergo fission, which is what happens when one atom splits into two atoms. Again, the number of protons is kept the same in fission, as is the number of neutrons. But here, the parent atom has a number of protons, and the daughter atoms combine to have that number of protons. Clearly fission cannot happen without the daughter atoms being entirely different from the parent. An example equation for fission is as follows (but bear in mind that the uranium fission equation can take many different forms with many different results):92235U --> 3692 Kr + 56140Ba + 2 01n
Other types of decayThere are many other types of nuclear decay with a single atom undergoing some sort of change to produce another single atom. In most of them, the daughter atom is of a different element than the parent, but this is not true in all cases. In decay involving producing only a gamma ray, for example, there is only a slight change in the mass of the atom. For example:99mTc --> 99Tc + gamma
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∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoElements are defined by the number of protons in the nucleus. Radioactive emission of an alpha or beta particle changes this. An alpha emission means a loss of two protons. A beta emission means a neutron becomes a proton. Either way, the nucleus of a different element is formed. Exposure of materials to neutrons in a reactor also causes changes, for example Uranium 235 and Plutonium 239 undergo fission leading to a range of different nuclei as fission fragments, and many other substances become radioactive and then subsequently decay into other elements. This can be made use of in producing active isotopes for medical use.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoNot exactly. In covalent bonding, two atoms share electrons. In ionic bonding, one atom gives one or more electrons to another atom. Neither of these processes actually change what the elements are, as the number of protons does not change.
If you want a reaction that changes the elements involved, it must be a nuclear reaction, instead of a chemical reaction.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoElements change either by:
- nuclear fission of one element to two (or more) different elements,
- nuclear fusion of two elements into one element, or
- radioactive decay of an element by emitting alpha or beta particles.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agonuclear reactors can transmute elements, but they are not energetic enough to create "new" elements. When large hydrogen bombs were being tested they created "new" elements, but they could also only go so far. The only device made by man that has always been able to create "new" elements is the particle accelerator.
Wiki User
∙ 6y agoYes, nuclear reactions can create new elements. As examples, hydrogen is fused in stars like out sun to create helium. And fission reactions in uranium fuel in power plants create fission fragments, each of which is a new element distinct from that uranium atom.
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∙ 14y agoInside stars, nuclear fusion combines smaller nuclei into larger nuclei, thus creating heavier elements
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∙ 11y agoNo. The numbers of atoms are the same before and after a chemical reaction. They have only been rearranged. This is why a chemical equation needs to be balanced.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoNo, they don't. Atoms maintain their identities and properties in the reaction.
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∙ 14y agono
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In a nuclear reaction energy is release by the combination of two elements into a new element is the process of what?
The process of combining elements to create a new element is nuclear fusion. As we normally consider it, in this process, a great deal of energy is liberated. They are exothermic. But there are types of fusion that are endothermic, though we only encounter them in something like a supernova.
How are elements artificially transmuted?
Scientists can bombard atomic nuclei with high-energy particles such as protons, neutrons, or alpha particles. Scientists synthesize a transuranium element by the artificial transmutation of a lighter element. ... It involves nuclear change, not chemical change. NOTE nuclear decay is a transmutation that happens naturally
Why did Enrico Fermi win The Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938?
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1938 was awarded to Enrico Fermi for his demonstrations of the existence of new radioactive elements produced by neutron irradiation, and for his related discovery of nuclear reactions brought about by slow neutrons.
Can you make energy from nothing only using gravity?
No It is impossable to create energy or matter from nothing. The only way to create new energy is by converting mass (matter) to energy, an example of this is nuclear fission. In nuclear fission an atom (normally putonium) is split in half creating an least 2 new elements, but not all of the mass form the original element still remains mass. A small amount of this mass is converted into energy.
What is a nuclear power plants original energy form?
Assuming "FROM". Supernova stars. As stars age, they run out of hydrogen for fusion. Large stars can fuse heavier and heavier elements... such as uranium. When they run out of stuff to fuse, they can collapese and explode. The stars blew up, spreading the uranium around the universe... and when new solar systems form, that uranium is part of their make up and available via mining to create nuclear energy.
Can nuclear reactions create new atoms?
Yes, it is very possible from many years !
Can nuclear reactions create new molecules?
We don't generally think of nuclear reactions creating new molecules. A nuclear reaction is a reaction involving the nucleus of an atom (in the case of fission) or atoms (in the case of fusion). The manipulation or creation of new molecules is usually left in the domain of the science of chemistry, and not nuclear physics.
Can new elements be produced in a chemical reaction can new molecules be produced through a chemical reaction?
New elements can by obtained only by nuclear reactions.New molecules can be obtained by chemical reactions.
Are there new elements to the periodic table?
Every naturally occurring element has probably been found by now, but new elements have be made from nuclear reactions in laboratories, and this will probably continue with better technology.
Why must a synchrotron be used to create a?
By the intermediate of a nuclear reaction this new element is obtained.Now heavy elements are bombarded with nuclei from other elements.
Do chemical reactions produce new atoms?
No, only nuclear reactions can.
How many elements are in the word?
According to the present there are around 116 different elements discovered. With nuclear reactions, new types of atoms can be formed. Henceforth, the number may increase by the future.
What is artificial radioactivity?
Not all nuclear reactions are spontaneous. These reactions occur when stable isotopes are bombarded with particles such as neutrons. This method of inducing a nuclear reaction to proceed is termed artificial radioactivity. This meant new nuclear reactions, which wouldn't have been viewed spontaneously, could now be observed. Since about 1940, a set of new elements with atomic numbers over 92 (the atomic number of the heaviest naturally occurring element, Uranium) have been artificially made. They are called the transuranium elements.
What does nuclear fusion produce?
It combines atoms to create new and more massive elements and releases a great deal of energy.
Where did the sun gets its light?
from the constant nuclear fission reactions in its core under intense pressure, this gives out light and heat and makes new elements too =)
How is a nuclear fusion the same as a chemical reaction?
They are...reactions and can lead to new elements; but the big difference is that a nuclear fusion involve particles from the atomic nucleus and a very great energy is needed.
Is a new material new materials?
No materials are made from nuclear reactions in stars
