Energy is released whenever the nuclei of very heavy atoms, such as
uranium or plutonium, split into middleweight ones, or when very light
nuclei, such as those of hydrogen and helium, combine into heavier ones.
The energy released in each nuclear reaction is very much greater than
the energy given off in each chemical reaction.
| NSES Content Standard B
Physical Science: Structure of atoms Grades 9-12, page 178 The nuclear forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together, at nuclear distances, are usually stronger than the electric forces that would make it fly apart. Nuclear reactions convert a fraction of the mass of interacting particles into energy, and they can release much greater amounts of energy than atomic interactions. Fission is the splitting of a large nucleus into smaller pieces. Fusion is the joining of two nuclei at extremely high temperature and pressure, and is the process responsible for the energy of the sun and other stars. |