23. Fission and fusion - when can they be exothermic? (4p.) Flashcards
1
Q
Fission and fusion - when can they be exothermic
A
In nuclear fission, a heavy nucleus is split into two smaller fragments. In nuclear fusion, two light nuclei are combined into a heavier nucleus.
The iron peak.
For elements lighter than iron on the periodic table, nuclear fusion releases energy while fission consumes it. For iron, and for all of the heavier elements, nuclear fusion consumes energy, but nuclear fission releases it.
