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Nuclear Fusion & Fission

Nuclear fission is the process of splitting large, unstable nuclei into smaller nuclei, releasing energy and potentially triggering a chain reaction, while nuclear fusion involves fusing light nuclei to form heavier nuclei, releasing energy but requiring extreme conditions found in stars. Fission is used for electricity generation on Earth but poses risks and produces waste, whereas fusion does not produce radioactive waste but is not yet feasible on Earth due to the high temperatures and pressures needed. The key differences lie in the processes and conditions required for each, with fission being more applicable for current energy needs and fusion being a potential future energy source.

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4 views2 pages

Nuclear Fusion & Fission

Nuclear fission is the process of splitting large, unstable nuclei into smaller nuclei, releasing energy and potentially triggering a chain reaction, while nuclear fusion involves fusing light nuclei to form heavier nuclei, releasing energy but requiring extreme conditions found in stars. Fission is used for electricity generation on Earth but poses risks and produces waste, whereas fusion does not produce radioactive waste but is not yet feasible on Earth due to the high temperatures and pressures needed. The key differences lie in the processes and conditions required for each, with fission being more applicable for current energy needs and fusion being a potential future energy source.

Uploaded by

np2s52rcys
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Nuclear Fission & Fusion

-definitions, processes and differences.

NUCLEAR FISSION
-splitting up of a large and unstable nuclei into smaller nuclei. While doing this, it releases
loads of energy which is how we get all the nuclear energy here on earth.

This can occur in two different ways:


1. Spontaneously
Where the fission is unforced and happens all by itself.
2. By absorbing a neutron
Which can effectively split a nucleus by making it less stable

Spontaneous fission is rare so when we use fission in nuclear reactants, we have to use
neutrons to get the process started.

Let’s go through the step by step of this process.


1. We start with a very unstable nucleus, for example, Uranium
2. We fire a relatively slow-moving neutron at it. This addition of a neutron makes it
even less stable and causes it to split apart into two smaller nuclei, we call them
daughter nuclei.
3. It then releases two or three more nuclei while also releasing loads of energy in the
form of gamma radiation.
4. Each of the neutrons can then go on to repeat the process all over again with another
uranium nuclei. So, more daughter nuclei, energy, and neutrons will be released.

The key point to this process is that nuclear fission leads to a chain reaction where the first
fission can trigger more fission, which can trigger more fission, and so on. If this process
isn’t controlled properly, then the whole system can get out of control and release huge
amounts of energy which is exactly what happens in a nuclear bomb.

In nuclear reactors, the rate of fission has to be carefully controlled. This is achieved by using
controlled rods, which can be lowered into the reactor to absorb neutrons.

The energy released from the process is used to heat water which will then turn into steam
that will be used to drive turbines that are connected to an electricity generator.

Pros:
It is cheap
Produces large amounts of energy
It is clean energy (doesn't produce greenhouse gases)

Cons:
Nuclear power plants are very expensive to build
The nuclear waste they produce is expensive to get rid of
There is also the risk of a major disaster if a plant malfunction

NUCLEAR FUSION
-when two like nuclei join and fuse to form a single large nuclei.
For example:
1H1 and 2H1 join together to form 3H2. This process releases energy and is the process that
fuels stars. It is also how all elements heavier than hydrogen are made.

This large release of energy happens because some of the mass of the small nuclei is
transferred into energy in the process of fusing rather than to be transferred into the larger
nuclei. We can’t tell this just by looking at the mass numbers.

Nuclear fusion does not produce any radioactive waste and can easily be made. But the
problem is that fusion only happens at high temperatures and pressures in 10,000,000ºC.
Because of this, it can’t be currently done on earth, but there is a lot of experimental research
to make it possible one day.

Differences between nuclear fusion and fission


FUSION
Fusing of light nuclei to make heavy nuclei, releasing energy in the process. But only
happens inside stars because of the high temperatures and pressures required

FISSION
The splitting of Large unstable nuclei into smaller nuclei releases energy in the process (not
as much as in Fusion though). We use it here on Earth to generate electricity

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