What is the Difference Between Fission and Fusion?
Can a simple model help visualize the basic concepts? Background Information Nuclear fusion is the combining of light elements into heavier ones. Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy element into smaller, lighter elements. In both of these processes energy can be released. This demonstration with soap bubbles is limited as a model for fission or fusion because it illustrates only the overall concept. The elements that are missing from the soap bubble model are the neutrons and the energy released during fission, and the protons and energy released during fusion. A nuclear source of energy in nature is the sun. Stars fuse hydrogen atoms into helium atoms and in this process of fusion release energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.
What type of reaction is currently used in nuclear power plants? What type of reaction is used by a star? Are all nuclear reactions dangerous? Background Information Isotopes of elements having atomic numbers greater than 80 are capable of undergoing fission. In nuclear fission, the nucleus splits apart generating enormous amounts of energy. When uranium 235 absorbs a neutron, fission can occur and it breaks apart to produce two smaller nuclei, several neutrons, and a great amount of energy. A chain reaction is produced as fission continues and the neutrons emitted bombard more uranium 235 nuclei. Fission is utilized in nuclear power plants and weapons. Fusion is the joining of two light nuclei to produce a heavier one. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars. To make fusion occur, the atoms must be heated to very high temperatures to have sufficient energy to fuse. Scientists are trying to develop practical ways to use fusion for electric power generation. If successfu
Fission is usually performed by splitting atoms, fusion by combining…Fission, the splitting of a large nucleus into two mid-sized nuclei, is currently the only nuclear reaction commercially used for it’s energy output. The energy released by fusion is three to four times greater than the energy released by fission. This is because the amount of mass transformed into energy is that much greater in a fusion reaction than in a fission reaction. The sources of radioactive waste in the fission energy cycle are numerous: From low-level mine-tailings to the high level waste from the burnt out fuel rods, the problem of waste disposal in in the fission cycle is grave and has yet to be solved. The fusion fuel cycle has none of these problems, as the source of fuel doen’t require mining. The waste product is an intert gas, Helium, which is completely harmless. As for the dangers of a nuclear accident, this a real concern with fission reactors, meltdowns and runaway reactors are a reality for wh
Fission and fusion are different types of nuclear reactions in which energy is released from the high-powered bonds between particles in the atomic nucleus. The atomic nucleus is most stable when binding energies between particles are strongest. This occurs with iron and nickel. For lighter atomic nuclei, energy can be extracted by combining these nuclei together, a process known as nuclear fusion. For nuclei heavier than those of iron or nickel, energy can be extracted by splitting them apart in a process called nuclear fission. Because the binding force in the atomic nucleus contains enormous energy, fission and fusion can both provide tons of power, in principle. However, practical considerations make the exploitation of nuclear power more difficult than something as simple as starting a fire. For fission, highly purified feedstock, usually uranium or plutonium isotopes, must be used. Isotopes are favored because their instability makes them easier to break apart. The purification o
