How Does Splitting an Atom Release Energy in Fission and Fusion?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the mechanisms of energy release during nuclear fission and fusion, particularly focusing on how splitting an atom occurs and the role of neutrons in these processes. Participants explore various aspects of nuclear reactions, including the stability of nuclei, the nature of energy produced, and the differences between fission and fusion.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question whether a neutron causes a nucleus to split due to its force or if it becomes unstable upon absorption, leading to fission.
  • There is uncertainty about how to accelerate a neutron, with suggestions that using an electron might be easier, though concerns about the coulomb interaction are raised.
  • One participant mentions the mass-energy equivalence principle (E=mc²) to explain how missing mass in fission translates into energy.
  • Another participant clarifies that a neutron must be absorbed by a nucleus to induce fission, emphasizing that it is not merely a matter of colliding particles.
  • Some participants discuss the role of thermal neutrons in reactors, noting that they are slowed down by hydrogen in water to enhance absorption by uranium isotopes.
  • There is a comparison made between the fission process and a golf ball falling into a hole, illustrating the need for neutrons to be at the right speed to trigger further reactions.
  • Participants mention specific isotopes like U-235 and Pu-239, discussing their stability and behavior during fission.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the mechanisms of fission and the role of neutrons, with no consensus reached on the exact processes involved. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the nuances of how energy is released and the conditions necessary for fission to occur.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight limitations in understanding the physics behind nuclear reactions, indicating that further clarification on concepts like neutron moderation and the nature of energy in fission is needed.

  • #31
Line said:
It would seem the heating up particles would use far more energy.
You mean you just can't send a few particle through and accelrator and fuse them? If you have enough you ought to have enough heat to generate a fusion reaction. Or is there someway to turn off the magnetic fields?
Now I'm not talking about nuclear reactios. If a took the nucleaus of an iron atom and counted the particles in it. The mass of the particles would be more thand the nucleus?

OK, now you're no longer making any sense.

Zz.
 
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  • #32
Line said:
WHy would it take more energy in an accelelrator?

I mean the heat used to trigger a fusion reaction is awesome. I'd think an accelerator would be cheaper.

An accelerator is very very inefficient. Only a tiny fraction of the energy that goes into running it, ends up as increased energy of the particles that it's accelerating. Even if you get the particles to fuse and release energy, you're not going to come close to "paying back" all the energy that you pumped into the accelerator in the first place.
 
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