Nuclear Fussion

Question 1

What is it called when two light nuclei can join to create a larger nucleus?

Answer 1

Nuclear fusion

Question 2

What is an advantage of nuclear fusion as opposed to fission?

Answer 2

Nuclear fusion doesn’t leave behind a lot of radioactive waste like fission

Question 3

What is the problem with nuclear fusion?

Answer 3

The big problem is that fusion can only have been a really high temperature at about 10,000,000°C

Question 4

As fusion can only happen at high temperatures what is a problem because of this? How is this overcome?

Answer 4

You can’t hold the hydrogen at the high temperatures and pressures required for fusion in an ordinary container so you need an extremely strong magnetic field

Question 5

Explain why scientists are interested in developing fusion power (2)

Answer 5

Fusion Power would allow a lot of electricity to be generated from the plentiful fuel (hydrogen) with out the large amounts of waste currently produced by fission.

Question 6

Explain why fusion is not used to generate electricity at present

Answer 6

Fusion only works at such high temperatures that it uses more energy than it can produce

Question 7

What is nuclear fusion?

Answer 7

Nuclear fusion is the joining of small atomic nuclei