Which describes nuclear fission

The smallest of these fragments in ternary processes ranges from the size of a proton to the size of an argon nucleus. The strong nuclear force is the force between two or more nucleons.

This force binds protons and neutrons together inside the nucleus, and it is most powerful when the nucleus is small and the nucleons are close together.

The electromagnetic force causes the repulsion between like-charged protons. The strong nuclear force acts to hold all the protons and neutrons close together, while the electromagnetic force acts to push protons further apart. In atoms with small nuclei, the strong nuclear force overpowers the electromagnetic force.

As the nucleus gets bigger, the electromagnetic force becomes greater than the strong nuclear force. These nuclei are called unstable, and this instability can result in radiation and fission. In order to initiate fission, a high-energy neutron is directed towards a nucleus, such as U.

The energy released by fission in these reactors heats water into steam. The steam is used to spin a turbine to produce carbon-free electricity. Click above to view our full fission vs fusion infographic. Fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form a heavier atom, like when two hydrogen atoms fuse to form one helium atom.

This is the same process that powers the sun and creates huge amounts of energy—several times greater than fission. Nuclear fission takes place when a large, somewhat unstable isotope atoms with the same number of protons but different number of neutrons is bombarded by high-speed particles, usually neutrons. These neutrons are accelerated and then slammed into the unstable isotope, causing it to fission, or break into smaller particles.

During the process, a neutron is accelerated and strikes the target nucleus, which in the majority of nuclear power reactors today is Uranium This splits the target nucleus and breaks it down into two smaller isotopes the fission products , three high-speed neutrons, and a large amount of energy. This resulting energy is then used to heat water in nuclear reactors and ultimately produces electricity. The high-speed neutrons that are ejected become projectiles that initiate other fission reactions, or chain reactions.

The word fusion means "a merging of separate elements into a unified whole". Nuclear fusion refers to the "union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous amounts of energy" Merriam-Webster Online, www. Fusion takes place when two low-mass isotopes, typically isotopes of hydrogen, unite under conditions of extreme pressure and temperature.

Fusion is what powers the sun.