? occurs when two or more small nuclei join together to form a larger, more-massive nucleus?

Question

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ help! Please There goes the words that i need help on

Answer 1

Nuclear fusion

Answer 2

Transformation to a new element occurs when two or more smaller nuclei join together to form a larger, more massive nucleus, but this is probably not the answer you are looking for, read further.

The only way this is done is inside a particle accelerator or a sun.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Californium
"Californium (pronounced /ˌkælɪˈfɔrniəm/) is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Cf and atomic number 98. A radioactive transuranic element, californium has very few uses and was discovered by bombarding curium with alpha particles (helium ions)."

All the elements of atomic weight 104+ were created in particle accelerators by adding two nuclei together to create the larger atom; and atom that doesn't normally exist in nature (at least not anywhere outside of a super nova).

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutherfordium
"Rutherfordium was reportedly first synthesized in 1964 at the Joint Nuclear Research Institute at Dubna (U.S.S.R.). Researchers there bombarded 242Pu with accelerated 113 to 115 MeV 22Ne ions and claimed that they detected nuclear fission tracks in a special type of glass with a microscope which indicated the presence of a new element.

In 1969 researchers at the University of California, Berkeley synthesized the element by subjecting 249Cf and 12C to high energy collisions. The UC group also stated that they could not reproduce the earlier synthesis by Soviet scientists."

HOWEVER; the answer you teacher may be looking for is FUSION. When the extreme heat and pressure at the core of suns exerts its force on the atoms it forces two hydrogen nuclei together to create a helium atom. This reaction releases a huge amount of heat, radiation and light and is what fuels all suns.

A sun can continue to fuse elements right up to element 26 Iron (Fe) at this point the reaction cannot be sustained and the star will expand into a red giant and then fall inward and collapse to degenerate matter creating a white dwarf.

However, if the star is about 10 times larger then our sun that collapse will result in an explosion called a Nova or a Super Nova. During a supernova there is enough force to create super heavy atomic elements and this is how the larger atoms like Gold (Au atomic number 79) are made.

When a star is about 15 times as large as our sun the collapse continues forming a neutron star and if the star is about 20 times the size of our sun the collapse continues beyond that point becoming a black hole.

Forcing two nuclei together creates a larger nuclei and so a larger atom. This can only be done in a particle accelerator or the heart of a sun. In a particle accelerator we have been able to create up to Roentgenium (Rg atomic number 111). A sun can only create up to Iron normally, but in a supernova higher elements can be made and we don't know how high that limit is.