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Nuclear fission is the breaking down of an atom's nucleus. This happens because of the small range of activity of the strong interaction, the force that holds the nucleus together. When a atom's nucleus exceeds the size/range the strong interaction can hold, the whole nucleus will breakdown, releasing large amounts of energy. The protons and neutron will scatter go into other nuclei (plural), breaking the other nuclei down, causing chain reactions and releasing more energy. This energy is used to boil water like burning coal in conventional power plants.

Nuclear fusion cannot occur on Earth. It only occurs in the sun and other stars.

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What is the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?

Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy nucleus into smaller nuclei, releasing energy. Nuclear fusion is the combining of light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, also releasing energy. Fission is used in nuclear power plants, while fusion is a potential source of clean energy for the future.


What is the difference between nuclear fission and fusion?

Nuclear fission involves splitting atoms to release energy, while nuclear fusion involves combining atoms to release energy.


In what ways do fusion and fission differ?

Fusion and fission are two types of nuclear reactions that release energy. Fusion involves combining two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, while fission involves splitting a heavy atomic nucleus into lighter nuclei. The main difference is the process by which energy is released: fusion releases energy when light nuclei combine, while fission releases energy when heavy nuclei split.


What's the difference between nuclear fission and fusion?

Nuclear fission involves splitting atoms to release energy, while nuclear fusion involves combining atoms to release energy.


Can you explain the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion and how they differ in terms of energy production?

Nuclear fission involves splitting atoms to release energy, while nuclear fusion involves combining atoms to release energy. In terms of energy production, nuclear fusion has the potential to produce more energy than fission, but it is currently more difficult to control and sustain.

Related Questions

Is fusion or fission the main energy source for stars?

Fusion is the main energy source for stars. It is the process by which stars convert hydrogen into helium through nuclear reactions, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process. Fission, on the other hand, involves the splitting of atomic nuclei and is not the primary energy source for stars.


Which provides more energy per gram of fuel fission or fusion?

Fusion provides more energy per gram of fuel than fission. Fusion reactions release several times more energy compared to fission reactions, making fusion a more efficient and powerful energy source.


Outline on nuclear energy?

Definition: energy from nuclear fission or fusion: the energy released by nuclear fission or fusion


Is energy released during fission but absorbed during fusion?

Energy is released during fusion and fission.


Which process, fission or fusion, releases more energy?

Fusion releases more energy than fission.


What is the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?

Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy nucleus into smaller nuclei, releasing energy. Nuclear fusion is the combining of light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, also releasing energy. Fission is used in nuclear power plants, while fusion is a potential source of clean energy for the future.


What kind of energy is produced by both fission and fusion processes?

Nuclear energy is produced by both fission and fusion processes.


Why are fission and fusion called nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is the source of the energy produced by both fission and fusion. Per Einstein's equation E = mc2 matter may be converted into energy. In fission, the nuclei of heavy atoms like Uranium or Plutonium are split into less heavy elements. Byproducts of fission are nuclear energy and neutrons that may be used to sustain the nuclear fission process as in a reactor or a bomb. In fusion, two nuclei are merged (or fused) to form a heavier element. Often two Hydrogen atoms are fused to form a Helium atom. Fusion is the process that occurs in our sun. Both fission and fusion result in the conversion of a small amount of the matter in the nuclei of the source atom(s) into energy. Therefore, both may be considered nuclear energy.


Fission and fusion are examples of what?

Nuclear processes that can release large amounts of energy.


Which is the cause of the sun energy?

Nuclear fission is the source of the sun's energy. It is a process in which an atom of hydrogen fuses with another atom of hydrogen, releasing large amounts of energy in the process. It is quite the opposite of nuclear fission, which is the source of atomic energy.


How is the nuclear energy in use different from fusion energy?

Because it is a fission process, not fusion


Which process would release energy from gold fission or fusion?

fission