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21 Dec 2025

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2 pages

Understanding Fission and Fusion: The Basis of Nuclear Power

@sj_hkza

Nuclear power might sound like science fiction, but it's actually... Show more

# Fission, Fusion and Nuclear power

Nuclear Fission

In a nuclear fission reaction a large nucleus is bombarded with a neutron.
This collis

Nuclear Fission and Fusion Basics

Nuclear fission happens when you fire a neutron at a large, heavy nucleus - think of it like throwing a stone at a wobbly tower. The nucleus becomes unstable and splits into two smaller pieces, releasing loads of energy and more neutrons in the process.

Here's the clever bit: those released neutrons go off and hit other nuclei, causing them to split too. This creates a chain reaction that keeps going on its own - that's how nuclear power stations generate electricity continuously.

Nuclear fusion works the opposite way. Instead of splitting big nuclei apart, you're smashing small ones together to make larger ones. When deuterium and tritium (both types of hydrogen) fuse together, they create helium and release even more energy than fission.

Quick Tip: Remember it this way - fission = splitting apart, fusion = joining together. Both release massive amounts of energy from tiny amounts of fuel.

Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power

Nuclear fission has some brilliant advantages that make it attractive for power generation. Uranium fuel is abundant and you need incredibly small amounts compared to coal - we're talking about the size of a golf ball versus tonnes of coal for the same energy output. Plus, there are no carbon dioxide emissions during operation, making it environmentally friendly in terms of climate change.

However, nuclear accidents like Chernobyl show just how dangerous things can go wrong. The radioactive waste produced stays dangerous for thousands of years, and nobody's quite figured out the perfect disposal solution yet. Building nuclear power stations also costs an absolute fortune.

Nuclear fusion sounds amazing in theory - it would solve our energy problems with minimal environmental impact. Unfortunately, we haven't mastered the technology yet to make it work reliably on a large scale.

Reality Check: Current nuclear power uses fission, not fusion. Fusion power stations are still decades away from becoming reality, despite decades of research.

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Physics

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21 Dec 2025

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2 pages

Understanding Fission and Fusion: The Basis of Nuclear Power

@sj_hkza

Nuclear power might sound like science fiction, but it's actually powering millions of homes right now through two incredible processes. Understanding nuclear fission and fusion will help you grasp how we can generate massive amounts of energy from tiny amounts... Show more

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Nuclear Fission and Fusion Basics

Quick Tip: Remember it this way - fission = splitting apart, fusion = joining together. Both release massive amounts of energy from tiny amounts of fuel.

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Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power

Reality Check: Current nuclear power uses fission, not fusion. Fusion power stations are still decades away from becoming reality, despite decades of research.