Table of Contents
How is nuclear fusion done?
Nuclear Fusion reactions power the Sun and other stars. In a fusion reaction, two light nuclei merge to form a single heavier nucleus. The process releases energy because the total mass of the resulting single nucleus is less than the mass of the two original nuclei. The leftover mass becomes energy.
What are the two types of nuclear fusion?
Fusion reactions are of two basic types: (1) those that preserve the number of protons and neutrons and (2) those that involve a conversion between protons and neutrons.
Which is the first step in the fusion process?
The first step of the Hydrogen fusion process: a nucleus of Deuterium (2H) is formed from two protons with the emission of an antielectron and a neutrino.
What is the process of fusion in the Sun?
In the core of the Sun hydrogen is being converted into helium. This is called nuclear fusion. It takes four hydrogen atoms to fuse into each helium atom. During the process some of the mass is converted into energy.
What is the fusion process?
A fusion reaction is the process whereby two light nuclei join to form a heavier nucleus. Depending on the nuclei, the weight of this heavier nucleus may be slightly less than the sum of the two light nuclei, and the weight difference is released in the form of energy according to E = mc2.
How is the process that generates energy in the Sun’s core different from an explosion caused by a chemical reaction?
We use the Sun’s energy in many different ways. The nuclear fusion reaction that occurs in the Sun’s core is similar to the reaction that produces the mighty explosion in a hydrogen bomb. Of course, the fusion reactions that occur in the Sun’s core are almost-infinitely more powerful than a hydrogen bomb.
What factors make a fusion reaction difficult to achieve?
The simple answer is that it has been particularly difficult to obtain high enough plasma densities , temperatures , and energy confinement times simultaneously for a reactor to approach ignition conditions.