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Question 10: Discuss the similarities and differences between fission and fusion.

ANSWER

Similarities

  • Both, fission and fusion, are nuclear reactions in which energy is released.
  • In both cases, the product nuclei have greater binding energy per nucleon than the initially reacting particles.
  • Energy obtained in the processes is in line with the Einstein’s Equation, E = Δmc2, where Δm is the difference in the rest masses of the particles before and after the reaction.

Differences

  1. In nuclear fission reaction, a heavy nucleus breaks into two intermediate nuclei and energy is released. On the other hand, in fusion reaction, two lighter nuclei combine together to form a relatively larger nucleus.
  2. Fission reaction results from the interaction of a thermalized (slow) neutron with the uranium- 235 isotope. On the other hand, in fusion reaction, two light nuclei with high speeds fused together to form another nucleus. The temperature required is 109 K.
  3. In fission reaction, energy produced is 200 MeV per nucleus. On the other hand, 18 MeV energy

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