文档介绍：Nuclear Fusion Vs. Fusion
Nuclear reactions deal with interactions between the nuclei of atoms.
Both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion processes deal with matter and energy.
The Law of Conservation of Mass (the reason we balance equations) taught us that “matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed.”
We now need to understand that matter and energy two forms of the same thin
Matter can be changed into Energy
Einstein’s formula E=mc2 tells us how the change occurs
In the equation above:
E = Energy
m = mass
c = Speed of light
Fission may be defined as the process of splitting an atomic nucleus into fission fragment.
The fission fragments are generally in the form of smaller atomic nuclei and neutrons.
Large amounts of energy are produced by the fission process.
Fissile nuclei are generally heavy atoms with large numbers of nucleons.
The nuclei of such heavy atoms are struck by neutrons initiating the fission process.
Fission occurs due to electrostatic repulsion created by large numbers of protons within the nuclei of heavy atoms
The fission process is a natural occurance as a French researcher found a natural uranium reactor in Gabon, West Africa; it has been estimated to be over 2 billion years old.
Fission produces large amounts of heat energy and it is this heat that is captured by nuclear power plants to produce electricity.
Fusion is a nuclear re