Nuclear fusion Flashcards

1
Q

What is nuclear fusion

A
  • The process by which two lighter nuclei fuse together to form one heavier nuclei
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2
Q

What are some current applications of nuclear fusion

A
  • Nuclear fusion is what powers stars (hydrogen nuclei fused into a helium nuclei)
  • How all elements heavier than hydrogen were made
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3
Q

How does nuclear fusion release energy

A
  • Nuclear fusion releases tons of energy (more than fission)
  • Some of the starting mass is converted to energy
  • The heavier nuclei will be slightly lighter than the sum of the two starting nuclei
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4
Q

What are the conditions for nuclear fusion and why

A
  • Only occurs at very high pressures and temperature (10,000,000 C)
  • This is because a lot of energy is required to overvome the strong repulsion of positively charged nuclei
  • Therefore, we can’t currently fo it on earth
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5
Q

What are some pros of nuclear fusion

A
  • No radioactive waste
  • Easy to obtain fuel (hydrogen)
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6
Q

What type of energy does nuclear fusion release

A
  • Releases energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation
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