Compare And Contrast Nuclear Fission And Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear energy is defined as energy released by reactions within atomic nuclei, as in nuclear fission or fusion (“Dictionary”). Nuclear fission is defined as a nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy. The definition of nuclear fission is as reaction in which two nuclei combine to form a nucleus with the release of energy (“Dictionary”). The process of nuclear fission and fusion happen inside of a nuclear reactor that is located in a nuclear power plant. Also needing to be defined, a nuclear reactor is a device in which nuclear fission initiates a controlled chain reaction, producing heat energy typically used for power generation, and neutrons and fission products (“Dictionary”). It is also important to know that there are a few different kinds of nuclear reactors. The different kind of reactors include: pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, gas-cooled reactors, and light water graphite reactors (Blau 117). Finally, a nuclear power plant is a facility for the production of electricity using

In the modern world, nuclear fission is the fundamental process of a nuclear bomb and nuclear reactor. The reaction produces a chain reaction of atom splitting that produces 24,000,000 kilowatts per hour of energy. On the other hand, nuclear fusion is a reaction where two or more nuclei come close enough to one another to create one or more atomic nuclei and subatomic nuclei. As a result, this reaction produces a massive amount of energy; fusion reaction is the energy source of the sun, the energy produced by fusion is the answer to why the sun is hot.

c. Write 3 – 4 sentences evaluating the use of nuclear fission to generate electric energy. Provide at least one point in favor of and two points against using fission. (3 points)

Nuclear energy is the energy that is released during nuclear fission or fusion also called a nuclear reaction. It is used to generate electricity energy is produced when a nucleus absorbs a neutron and splits into two lighter nuclei. The atoms consist of an electron cloud and a nucleus. (nuclearinfo.net)

Nuclear energy powers just about 20% of the United States. The United States holds only 100 of the reactors out of the 400 that are in the world. Even though a reactor does not put any pollutants in the air it still creates nuclear waste. Nuclear fission use uranium and plutonium and turn them into smaller atoms. When splitting atoms you have to hit it with a neutron. When split several atoms can be split like a chain reaction.

Nuclear fission separates or splits heavier atoms to form lighter atoms. Nuclear fusion combines together lighter atoms to form heavier atoms. Both reactions generate roughly a million times more energy than comparable chemical reactions, making nuclear bombs a million times more powerful than non-nuclear bombs. This energy produces the blast and fire which are normally the purpose of a nuclear explosion. Most fission products have too many neutrons to be stable so they are radioactive by beta decay, converting neutrons into protons by throwing off beta particles and gamma rays.Which makes thing called half lives. Their half lives range from milliseconds to about 200,000 years. Many decay into isotopes that are themselves radioactive, so from 1 to 6 decays may be required to reach stability. In reactors, the radioactive products are the nuclear waste in spent fuel. In bombs, they become radioactive fallout, both local and

KABOOOOM! That was the sound of the two atomic bombs the United States of America dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War 2. These two bombs were the main reason the Japanese surrendered, which led to the end of the war. The bomb at Hiroshima had a death toll of 135,000 and Nagasaki’s death toll was 64,000 ("The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki"). So how are these destructive bombs made? They are made by nuclear fission. Nuclear fission is when an atom splits into two parts, either through natural decay of when instigated within a lab and it produces energy. The natural decay is done through beta decay and blasting neutrons at the nuclear of the atom is what splits the atom. Nuclear fission has changed the world today, it is used to create nuclear bombs and conduct electricity in power plants, and has

Nuclear Fusion is a reaction where atomic nuclei come in contact with each other to form different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles. Due to the difference in mass between the reactants and the products, large amounts of energy is released. The difference in atomic binding energy between the atomic nuclei before and after the reaction fuel this energy. Nuclear Fusion is the process that powers active/dwarf stars, or other high magnitude stars and is the primary process by which new natural elements are created.

To understand how and why nuclear weapons cause so much disaster and pain, it is first necessary to understand how they work. There are two types of nuclear bomb: fission and fusion. What is fission? Well, everything in the world is made up of atoms. Atoms are made up of a nucleus, which consists of a ball of protons and neutrons, and electrons, which orbit the nucleus. Fission is the process by which atoms are hit with neutrons and split into lighter atoms. In this process, the huge amount of binding energy which holds the protons and neutrons of the nucleus together is released, and pieces of the nucleus fly apart with enormous energy called radioactivity. This energy is turned into heat, which vaporizes all nearby material. When the inventors realized how frighteningly powerful their discovery could

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an Atomic Bomb over the City of Hiroshima in Japan, decimating the city, and killing around 140,000 people within months of the explosion. 3 days later, the US dropped a second bomb over the city of Nagasaki in Japan, killing roughly 80,000 people. The second World War had been going on for 7 years, the Germans had surrendered but the Japanese had yet to do so. So the United States created and atomic bomb in a program called the Manhattan project in order to force the Japanese to surrender. Since the US creation of the atomic bombs, there has been a huge global advancement in energy, warfare medicine and technology, including the race for nuclear weapons.

This type of energy (in reference to nuclear energy) is released in large amounts in processes that affect the nuclei of atoms through nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. Nuclear fusion combines the reactants (the atoms involved in the nuclear reaction) to form one single atom which leads to the “extra energy” being used as a resource. On the other hand, fission is a nuclear reaction (as well as a natural radioactive decay process) where one atom splits into lighter nuclei, and the energy released is used for power. Both forms of nuclear energy are much less harmful to the environment

Nuclear fission has so many benefits to offer to humans. However, it can be harmful because of its dangerous cons :

Fission, which is the way all plants make nuclear energy, is the process of break apart the atoms causing a burst of energy. Now scientist are researching manners of fusion which is the bonding of the atoms instead of breaking them apart. The only worry and fault in doing so is that they worry that the bonding might be either to uncontrollable and or be unstable.

Fission can be controlled easier, that is why it is used the most. fission occurs by splitting an atom, instead of putting two molecules by force at high speeds, and changing the atomic number of the molecule. Fusion needs some requirements to occur, it needs high pressure and high temperature, and at extreme levels to combine the Molecule. If this is tried, and is done wrong, the damage could be devastating and even nuclear. This is a good source of power and has been used for many years. Usually when they malfunction they are treated and nothing bad happens, but if not treated, it could cause a nuclear meltdown, like what happened at 3 mile island on March 28th, 1979, and that's not good.

“At the sun core, powerful gravitational force generates heat and pressure, causing a reaction where by two hydrogen atoms collide and bond in to heavier helium atoms” (Naik, Guatam). The word fusion is when a merging of separate elements into a unified whole. “Scientist can’t replicate the tremendous gravitational force feeding sun and stars, they must find other ways to generate the intense heat and pressure needed to fuse the hydrogen atoms” (Naik Gautam). “It’s clean energy, virtually limitless fuel available, no chain reactions, with little to no waste and very low fuel cost but it’s unproven, commercial power plants will be very expensive to build and require extremely high temperature” ( Nolten, Tanja). Fusion should advance under general guidelines with some government control by how fusion was invented, backgrounds into fusion, the future of power and fission versus fusion. “Both fission and fusion are nuclear reactions that produce energy, but the applications are not the same” (Duke, Energy).