When a star has exhausted its hydrogen fuel, it may fuse other nuclear fuels. At temperatures above 1.0 x 108 K, helium fusion can occur. Write the equations for the following processes. (a) Two alpha particles fuse to produce a nucleus A and a gamma ray. What is nucleus A? (b) Nucleus A absorbs an alpha particle to produce a nucleus B and a gamma ray. What is nucleus B ? (c) Find the total energy released in the reactions given in parts (a) and (b). Note: The mass of 48Be = 8.005 305 u.
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is a type of nuclear reaction. In nuclear fusion, two or more than two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. During this process, an enormous amount of energy is released. This energy is called nuclear energy. Nuclear fusion is the energy source of the sun and stars.
Fusion Bomb
A fusion bomb is also known as a thermonuclear bomb or hydrogen bomb which releases a large amount of explosive energy during a nuclear chain reaction when the lighter nuclei in it, combine to form heavier nuclei, and a large amount of radiation is released. It is an uncontrolled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction where isotopes of hydrogen combine under very high temperature to form helium. They work on the principle of operation of atomic fusion. The isotopes of Hydrogen are deuterium and tritium, where they combine their masses and have greater mass than the product nuclei, get heated at high temperatures, and releases energy.
When a star has exhausted its hydrogen fuel, it may fuse other nuclear fuels. At temperatures above 1.0 x 108 K, helium fusion can occur. Write the equations for the following processes. (a) Two alpha particles fuse to produce a nucleus A and a gamma ray. What is nucleus A? (b) Nucleus A absorbs an alpha particle to produce a nucleus B and a gamma ray. What is nucleus B ? (c) Find the total energy released in the reactions given in parts (a) and (b). Note: The mass of 48Be = 8.005 305 u.
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