![]() If an uncontrolled chain reaction occurs, a huge amount of energy may be released in an explosion. Control rods, which absorb neutrons, are lowered into the nuclear reactor to slow down the chain reaction and then lifted out of the reactor to speed up the chain reaction. In nuclear power stations, the amount of energy produced is controlled by controlling how fast the chain reaction can occur. Both fission and fusion are nuclear reactions that produce energy, but the processes are very different. Both reactions release large amounts of energy, but with nuclear fusion, there is very high energy yield and very low nuclear waste production. ![]() In a nuclear power station, these gamma rays can be used to heat water, producing steam to turn turbines and generate electricity. Nuclear fusion is what happens in the Sun and other stars and involves joining two atomic nuclei to make one larger one. This is called a chain reaction.Įnergy that is not transferred to the smaller nuclei or the neutrons is released as gamma rays. If any of these neutrons are moving slow enough to be absorbed by another atom, they may cause that nucleus to undergo fission as well. Two or three neutronsare also produced when fission occurs. All of the fission products have kinetic energy. ![]() The new nuclei are also unlikely to be the same size as one another. These will be of a different elementsthan the original nucleus. When the nucleus splits, two smaller nuclei are produced. This makes the nucleus unstable and forces fission to occur. This process releases several times more energy than breaking atoms apart, or fission, which powers today's nuclear plants. In order to force a nucleus to split up, we can make it absorb a neutron. Nuclear fusion pushes atoms together until they merge. Nuclear fission rarely occurs spontaneously. Fusion, on the other hand, occurs when two or more light-weighted atoms fuse together, producing a larger and heavier atom. Nuclear fission occurs when an unstable nucleus splits into two or more pieces.
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