What is the energy released in nuclear fusion primarily due to? (2023)
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the energy released in nuclear fusion primarily due to? (2023)
Mass defect
Chemical bonds
Nuclear forces
Electromagnetic interactions
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the energy released in nuclear fusion primarily due to? (2023)
Step 1: Understand what nuclear fusion is. It is a process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus.
Step 2: Recognize that during this process, some mass is lost. This lost mass is called the mass defect.
Step 3: Learn that the mass defect occurs because the total mass of the resulting nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of the individual particles (nucleons) that made it.
Step 4: Know that this lost mass is converted into energy according to Einstein's equation E=mc², where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light.
Step 5: Conclude that the energy released in nuclear fusion is primarily due to this mass defect.
