Nuclear Fission and Fusion

1. Introduction

• Today we will discuss nuclear fission and fusion.
• Three types of nuclear reactions:
  • Physical reaction
  • Chemical reaction
  • Nuclear reaction

2. Nuclear Reaction

• In nuclear reaction:
  • A large nucleus breaks down into smaller nuclei (fission)
  • Two small nuclei combine to form a large nucleus (fusion)
• These processes occur for stability.

3. Stability Graph

• In the stability graph:
  • Light nuclei are unstable.
  • Heavy nuclei are also unstable.
  • The molar number of stable nuclei is approximately between 50 and 140.

4. Nuclear Fission

• Process:
  • A heavy nucleus breaks down into smaller nuclei.
  • Example:
    • Uranium (Atomic Number: 92, Mass Number: 235)
    • Breaks down to form krypton and barium.
    • 3 neutrons are also released.
• In nuclear fission:
  • Some mass disappears and is converted into energy.
  • Einstein’s equation: E=mc² (Energy = Mass × Speed²)

5. Energy Production

• Approximately 9 × 10^16 Joules of energy is obtained from 1 kilogram of uranium.
• Approximately 931 megawatts of energy is obtained from 1 AMU (Atomic Mass Unit).

6. Nuclear Fusion

• Process:
  • Two light nuclei combine to form a large nucleus.
  • Requires high temperature (about 10^7 Kelvin).
  • In this process too, some mass disappears and is converted into energy.

7. Comparison between Fission and Fusion

| Point | Nuclear Fission | Nuclear Fusion |
|-------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Process | Heavy nucleus breaks down | Light nuclei combine |
| Energy Production | Less energy per gram | More energy per gram |
| Temperature Requirement | Possible at normal temperature | Requires high temperature |
| Radioactivity | Yes | No |
| Use in Power Plants| Yes | No |

8. Conclusion

• Nuclear fission is used for energy production, while nuclear fusion holds the potential for more energy production but is difficult to achieve on Earth.
• We produce electric energy through nuclear fission, while fusion requires high temperature.
• Both processes have their advantages and disadvantages.