What is nuclear fusion?

Question

What is nuclear fusion?

Answer 1

Nuclear fusion is the process whereby atomic nuclei are fused together. It is the opposite of fission reactions where the atomic nuclei are broken up in the process.

In the case of the Sun, the primary fusion reaction is that of hydrogen into helium. In this 4 hydrogen nuclei are combined under conditions of great temperature and pressure to form a single helium nuclei. The reaction generates a great deal of energy.

The name of the reaction is often called the proton-proton chain, a roundabout term for 12 different reactions that are the primary power source of the Sun. In essence, 2 of the 4 hydrogen nuclei are fused into helium, the remainder of the matter is expended as energy. A single gram of hydrogen fused in this manner will generate enough heat to boil about 80,000 tonnes of water instantly. To generate the same amount of heat would require about 30,000 tonnes of high grade coal.

There are other, lesser reactions present in the Sun but the hydrogen-helium conversion dominates. The fuel consumption is roughly 5 million tonnes of hydrogen per second. This is also the primary of nuclear reaction used by most stars for much of their lifetimes. Stars smaller than the Sun will do little else, more massive stars will eventually go on to use more energetic fusion reactions.

Answer 2

Basic nuclear fusion tutorial:

An atom consists of a nucleus, which contains protons and neutron, and a shell of electrons.

Protons carry a positive charge, and electrons carry a negative charge. To keep the atom neutral the number of protons is equal to the number of electrons.

The number of protons in the nucleus determines what element the atom is. Hydrogen, the simplest element, has a nucleus containing one proton, and one electron orbiting around that nucleus. Carbon has 6 protons, iron has 26, and so on.

Chemical reactions involve interaction of the electron shells of atoms. Carbon dioxide, for example, is made when one carbon and two oxygen atoms combine by sharing electrons. The nuclei of the atoms remain separate, and under the right conditions you can split the atoms apart again.

Nuclear fusion occurs when the NUCLEI of elements combine to form a new atom of a heavier element. In the Sun, for example, hydrogen atoms, each of which has a single proton in its nucleus, are fusing together to form helium atoms, each of which has two protons in the nucleus. This proces generates a terrific amount of energy, and is what leads to the emission of heat and light from the Sun. Forcing two atomic nuclei to come together so they fuse is extremely difficult, and only happens in stars because the mass of hydrogen is so great that at the centre the temperature and pressure are so high that fusion can occur. If we could find a way to make fusion happen without such high temperatures and pressures we would have a very good source of energy for use here on Earth.

Answer 3

To put it simply it is the opposite of nuclear fission. Instead of breaking apart atoms to cause a chain reaction this resulting in heat and energy in a controlled manner, in nuclear fusion atoms are forced to join together or fused to produce energy.
This the process that powers our Sun.

Answer 4

Nuclear fusion is the fusing of two hydrogen nuclei into a helium nuclei. The tiny amount of mass that is loss is converted into energy. This is the basis of the hydrogen bomb and is also the source of the sun's energy.

Answer 5

Nuclear fusion is where atoms join together to form heavy elements.
This is happening in our sun, which fuses hydrogen into helium, and when that runs out, helium into the heavy metals.

Answer 6

Nulear fusion is the result of interaction of two hydrogen atoms forming a Helium atom. The energy released out of the atomic recombination is due to the excessive mass that is radiated which is called mass defect.

Answer 7

i think of i understand the respond on the 1st one.. Nuclear fusion is like, uhm, combining 2 components to be one.. it incredibly is in basic terms an occasion... Nuclear fission is the keeping apart of those components to be divided into 2.. that's what my instructor says... i'm in basic terms a 1st 3 hundred and sixty 5 days extreme college scholar... i'm no longer very attentive to it... yet i'm hoping I helped...?

Answer 8

look at the sun thats nuclear fusion

Answer 9

BAD STUFF! If you don't know whast you're doing with it.