Question

Explain why nuclear fission and nuclear fusion release large amounts of energy

Answer 1

Because of the formula
`E=mc^2`

Step-by-step explanation:

In this problem we are describing two different processes:

• Nuclear fission occurs when a heavy, unstable nucleus breaks apart into two or more lighter nuclei

• Nuclear fusion occurs when two (or more) light nuclei fuse together producing a heavier nucleus

In both cases, the total mass of the final products is smaller than the total mass of the initial nuclei.

According to Einsten's formula, this mass difference has been converted into energy, as follows:

`E=\Delta mc^2`

where:

E is the energy released in the reaction

`\Delta m` is the mass defect, the difference between the final total mass and the initial total mass

`c=3.0 \cdot 10^8 m/s` is the speed of light

From the formula, we see that the factor
`c^2` is a very large number, therefore even if the mass defect
`\Delta m` is very small, nuclear fusion and nuclear fission release huge amounts of energy.