💥Nuclear fission vs Nuclear fusion☀️
Fission and fusion are opposite nuclear reactions, yet both unleash enormous energy by converting mass according to E=mc².
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💥Nuclear fission
- ✓Splits a heavy nucleus into lighter ones
- ✓Powers today's nuclear power plants
- ✓Triggered by neutron bombardment of uranium or plutonium
- ✓Produces long-lived radioactive waste
- ✓Can sustain a chain reaction at modest conditions
☀️Nuclear fusion
- ✓Joins light nuclei such as hydrogen into helium
- ✓Powers the Sun and all stars
- ✓Requires extreme temperature and pressure to start
- ✓Produces little long-lived radioactive waste
- ✓Releases far more energy per unit mass than fission
Verdict
Fission is proven and runs reactors worldwide, but leaves hazardous waste. Fusion promises cleaner, more abundant energy, yet remains hard to sustain on Earth. The Sun runs on fusion.
Frequently asked
Which reaction powers the Sun?+
Fusion. The Sun fuses hydrogen nuclei into helium, releasing the energy that lights our solar system.
Why is fusion hard to achieve on Earth?+
It needs temperatures of millions of degrees and intense pressure to overcome nuclei repelling each other.
Which produces more dangerous waste?+
Fission produces long-lived radioactive waste; fusion's byproducts are far shorter-lived.
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