![]() ![]() Nuclear power plants exploit the process of fission to create energy. Fusing two light nuclei can liberate as much energy as the fission of 235 U or 239 Pu. Under special circumstances (the attainment of a "critical mass") the emitted neutrons can split further atoms, which in turn bring about more splitting, producing a very fast chain reaction. The graph of binding energy per nucleon suggests another way of obtaining useful energy from nuclear reactions. With fusion, the phenomenon is reversed: two light atoms combine to form a larger atom. In a typical reaction, an atom of uranium 235 absorbs a neutron and splits into two lighter atoms, barium and krypton, emitting radiation and neutrons. In a fission reaction, a heavy atomic nucleus is split into smaller nuclei, other particles and radiation. ![]() The two types of nuclear reactions used to produce energy are fission and fusion. Because of the principle of energy conservation the lost mass must reappear as generated energy, according to Einstein's equation E = mc². Nuclear fusion requires a fuel that is composed of two light elements, such as hydrogen or helium, while nuclear fission requires a fuel that is composed of a heavier element, such as uranium. The free neutrons strike other uranium nuclei, creating a chain reaction.Ī nuclear reaction is a process in which atoms collide with other atoms and lose some of their original mass. On the other hand, nuclear fusion is a process during which lighter elements fuse together to form heavier elements. Some of the fragments are chemical elements, such as barium or krypton, and some are free neutrons. During nuclear fission, a neutron collides with a uranium atom and splits it, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of heat and radiation. The primary difference between fission and fusion is that nuclear fission is a process during which a heavier nucleus of an atom (say plutonium) breaks into two lighter nuclei. When an incoming neutron strikes a uranium nucleus, it will break into fragments.
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