Why does nuclear fusion produce more energy than anything we do chemically?

The nuclear force is stronger than the Coulomb force for atomic nuclei smaller than iron, so building up these nuclei from lighter nuclei by fusion releases the extra energy from the net attraction of these particles.

Why are fusion reactors a desirable source of energy?

Fusion has the potential to provide the kind of baseload energy needed to provide electricity to our cities and our industries. Sustainability: Fusion fuels are widely available and nearly inexhaustible. No long-lived radioactive waste: Nuclear fusion reactors produce no high activity, long-lived nuclear waste.

Why is fusion not used at nuclear plants as a source for electrical energy?

Normally, fusion is not possible because the strongly repulsive electrostatic forces between the positively charged nuclei prevent them from getting close enough together to collide and for fusion to occur.

Why does the energy released during the nuclear fusion process?

In a fusion reaction, two light nuclei merge to form a single heavier nucleus. The process releases energy because the total mass of the resulting single nucleus is less than the mass of the two original nuclei. The leftover mass becomes energy. DT fusion produces a neutron and a helium nucleus.

Does nuclear fission or fusion release more energy?

The energy released by fusion is three to four times greater than the energy released by fission. Nuclear weapon: One class of nuclear weapon is a fission bomb, also known as an atomic bomb or atom bomb. One class of nuclear weapon is the hydrogen bomb, which uses a fission reaction to “trigger” a fusion reaction.

What form of energy is released by nuclear fusion?

The fusion of lighter elements in stars releases energy and the mass that always accompanies it. For example, in the fusion of two hydrogen nuclei to form helium, 0.645\% of the mass is carried away in the form of kinetic energy of an alpha particle or other forms of energy, such as electromagnetic radiation.