Because smaller, lighter nuclei are fusing into a single nucleus, the process is called fusion. Nuclear fusion is a technical term for fusion reactions in which two light nuclei combine together into one heavier nucleus. With this context established, we can turn to a discussion of nuclear fusion. They each contain one proton but different numbers of neutrons - deuterium has one neutron and tritium has two. For instance, deuterium and tritium are two isotopes of hydrogen. The number of neutrons can vary from one atom to the next, however, and these are known as isotopes. Hydrogen atoms always have one proton while helium atoms always have two, and so on. The nucleus is orbited by a cloud of electrons, which are negatively charged.įor any given atom, the number of protons determines what element it is. A nucleus is made up of positively-charged protons and neutrally-charged neutrons (meaning they have no charge). Most of the physics relevant to nuclear energy deal with changes to atomic nuclei. An atom is the basic unit of matter -anything with mass and takes up space is made up of atoms. Understanding the nuclear reactions involved in both fusion and fission is easier if you have a refresher on the structure of atoms. fusion, how these two power sources are alike, how they’re different, and how they can be used to fuel our clean-energy future. Let’s learn more about nuclear fission vs. nuclear fission - is the most viable in the foreseeable future. That said, there remain many questions about nuclear energy, including which option - n uclear fusion vs. Nuclear energy is one such alternative energy source that has been part of the United Stages energy mix for decades. The climate is changing, and as a result, many people are hard at work looking for alternative sources of power to lower the emissions of greenhouse gases like CO2.
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