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Because the forces at work are extremely large. That's a very unsatisfying answer, I know, so I recommend you read more about the strong nuclear force.

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Q: Why is so much energy released in nuclear fission?
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Does nuclear fusion produce much less energy per atom than nuclear fission?

Nuclear fusion produce energy 400 times more than nuclear fission for the same mass.


How does nuclear fission differ from nuclear fusion?

Nuclear fission is the process of splitting a nucleus with a large mass into two nuclei with smaller masses. The energy released can then be used to produce electricity. Nuclear fusion is the process of merging nuclei with smaller masses into a nucleus with a larger mass. The energy released by this reaction may someday be used to produce electricity. In other words, Nuclear Fusion is the exact opposite of Nuclear fission. While Nuclear Fission is splitting a nucleus into two nuclei, nuclear fusion is merging two nuclei into a nucleus.


How much energy is needed to start nuclear fission reaction?

Incomplete question


Why enormous energy is released during nuclear fission?

Well... It depends on what you mean by "a lot". The binding energy released from a fusion event is actually only about four times that of a fission event, however, the density of the much lighter elements involved in fusion (hydrogen) versus fission (uranium) results in a much more effective total mass to energy ratio, much more than a hundred times that of fission.I'm not talking about delta-mass to energy - that is constant per e = mc2 - I'm talking about the total fuel mass versus the amount of energy available in the reaction.


How do you compare fission and fussion?

With nuclear fission, a large atomic nucleus (such as a uranium nucleus) breaks apart into smaller nuclei, and energy is released. With nuclear fusion, small atomic nuclei (such as hydrogen) join to become larger nuclei, and energy is released. Fusion of hydrogen releases much more energy than any other type of either fusion or fission. Note that the dividing line between heavy nuclei and light nuclei is the iron nucleus, which is at the perfect point of nuclear stability, so that neither fusion nor fission of iron nuclei would release any energy.

Related questions

What is nuclear fission energy?

Nuclear Fission Energy is energy that is produced using fissionable elements. The most common is Uranium. Fission energy involves the fission heating water and turning a turbine, much like coal.


Which reaction used for nuclear power plant. fission or fussion?

Nuclear fission. Larger atoms are broken into smaller parts and energy is released. Nuclear fusion is where lighter atoms are fused together - as happens in the sun. This also produce energy, though much more.


Does nuclear fusion produce much less energy per atom than nuclear fission?

Nuclear fusion produce energy 400 times more than nuclear fission for the same mass.


How does the role of the moderater work in nuclear power plants?

The moderator in a nuclear reactor slows (moderates) the neutrons that are released during fission, so that they can subsequently cause fission in other atoms. When the neutrons are initially released, they tend to have too much energy, which impacts their ability to cause subsequent fission.


How does nuclear fission differ from nuclear fusion?

Nuclear fission is the process of splitting a nucleus with a large mass into two nuclei with smaller masses. The energy released can then be used to produce electricity. Nuclear fusion is the process of merging nuclei with smaller masses into a nucleus with a larger mass. The energy released by this reaction may someday be used to produce electricity. In other words, Nuclear Fusion is the exact opposite of Nuclear fission. While Nuclear Fission is splitting a nucleus into two nuclei, nuclear fusion is merging two nuclei into a nucleus.


How much energy is needed to start nuclear fission reaction?

Incomplete question


What is a nuclearfusion?

Nuclear Fusion, not to be mistaken with Nuclear Fission, is a process in which energy is created due to the merging or "fusion" of subatomic particles. The process is much more energy efficient, and produces larger quantities of energy than in a fission based process.


What do humans use fission for?

One use is in nuclear power plants to produce steam and turn turbines to generate electricity.Nuclear bombs ^.^


Why fusion reaction are more energetic than fission reactions?

Nuclear fission does not produce more energy than nuclear fusion. In nuclear fusion (6.4 MeV) per nucleon is given out which is much greater than the energy given out per nucleon (1 MeV) during a nuclear fission reaction.


Compare and contrast fusion and fission?

With nuclear fission, a large atomic nucleus (such as a uranium nucleus) breaks apart into smaller nuclei, and energy is released. With nuclear fusion, small atomic nuclei (such as hydrogen) join to become larger nuclei, and energy is released. Fusion of hydrogen releases much more energy than any other type of either fusion or fission. Note that the dividing line between heavy nuclei and light nuclei is the iron nucleus, which is at the perfect point of nuclear stability, so that neither fusion nor fission of iron nuclei would release any energy.


Are nuclear fusion and nuclear fission opposites?

Sort of. Nuclear fusion is when two atoms are fused together to make another one, while nuclear fission is when one atom is split into two atoms. Both processes, however, involve a loss of mass representing the binding energy that was released. This binding energy is manifest as heat. It just happens that the amount of loss is far greater in fusion than in fission. That's why the H-Bomb (a fusion device) is so much more powerful than the A-Bomb (a fission device).


Can nuclear power plants produce material that could be converted?

Nuclear energy is released from the nucleus when U235 fissions, it appears initially as kinetic energy of the fission fragments, these are then stopped in the fuel material and turned to thermal energy. We can't use the nuclear energy directly.