Why is fusion stronger than fission?

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SUMMARY

Fusion reactions, specifically Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) fusion, release more energy per unit mass compared to fission reactions like Uranium-235 (U-235) fission. While a single fission reaction yields approximately 200 MeV, D-T fusion produces about 17.6 MeV. However, when considering energy per atomic mass unit, D-T fusion provides 3.52 MeV/amu, significantly higher than U-235's 0.85 MeV/amu. The energy release in both processes is fundamentally derived from the strong nuclear force, with the efficiency of energy conversion varying based on the specific nuclear reactions involved.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of nuclear reactions, specifically fission and fusion
  • Familiarity with energy units such as MeV (mega-electronvolts) and amu (atomic mass units)
  • Knowledge of Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle (E=mc²)
  • Basic concepts of binding energy in atomic nuclei
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the specifics of D-T fusion and its potential as a clean energy source
  • Explore the binding energy differences between light and heavy nuclei
  • Study the role of the strong nuclear force in nuclear reactions
  • Investigate advanced nuclear engineering applications, including inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and magnetic confinement fusion (MCF)
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, nuclear engineers, energy researchers, and anyone interested in the comparative analysis of nuclear fission and fusion processes.

  • #31
Morbius or Greg thank you for your clarification. I am just a student from college but I am very curious of things, which has led me to read and learn things way ahead of the current classes I am taking. This Message is just to answer: No! It is not too hard to understand that the amount of energy released is directly dependent on the particular reaction applied and not whether is fusion or fission. If I stated this incorrectly please let me know. Many of the posts here were confusing and contradicting and I found yours very useful and I admire your knowledge and passion. I am looking forward to learn more from this forum, again I am just a student so I will not contribute much, instead will absorb as much as I can.
 
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  • #32
Nomadic Mind said:
Morbius or Greg thank you for your clarification. I am just a student from college but I am very curious of things, which has led me to read and learn things way ahead of the current classes I am taking. This Message is just to answer: No! It is not too hard to understand that the amount of energy released is directly dependent on the particular reaction applied and not whether is fusion or fission. If I stated this incorrectly please let me know. Many of the posts here were confusing and contradicting and I found yours very useful and I admire your knowledge and passion. I am looking forward to learn more from this forum, again I am just a student so I will not contribute much, instead will absorb as much as I can.

Of course! The energy released depends entirely on fuel used and the particular reaction that happens. The energy released from each type varies drastically with different fuels.
 

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