(a) Differentiate between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
(b) Which of the two, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, is made use of :
(i) for the production of electricity ?
(ii) for making a hydrogen bomb ?
(c) Which produces more energy : nuclear fusion or nuclear fission ?
(d) Calculate the energy released in joules when 5 g of a material is completely converted into energy during a nuclear reaction.
(e) How much is this energy in MeV ? (Speed of light = 3 $\times 10^{8} m / s)$

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Solution

Nuclear Fission Nuclear Fussion

Natural occurance of the process: Fission produces many highly radioactive particles. Few radioactive particles are produced by fusion reaction, but if a fission "trigger" is used, radioactive particles will result from that

Energy Ratios: The energy released by fission is a million times greater than that released in chemical reactions: but lower than the energy released by nuclear fusion The Energy released by fusion is three or four times thant 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 reation

Energy requirement: Takes little energy to split two atoms in a fission reaction Extremely high energy is required to bring two or more protons close enough that nuclear forces overcome their electrostatic repulsion.

(b) (i) Nuclear Fission
(ii) Nuclear Fusion
(c) Nuclear Fusion
(d) Mass, m = 5g = 0.005 Kg Speed of Light =
$W e space k n o w space t h a t comma space E space equals space m c squared E space equals space 0.005 cross times open parentheses 3 cross times 10 to the power of 8 close parentheses squared E space equals space 4.5 cross times 10 to the power of 14 J left parenthesis e right parenthesis space 1 space M e V space equals space 1.602 space cross times 10 to the power of negative 13 end exponent J 1 J space equals space fraction numerator 1 over denominator 1.602 cross times 10 to the power of negative 13 end exponent end fraction M e V 4.5 cross times 10 to the power of 14 J space equals space fraction numerator 4.5 cross times 10 to the power of 14 over denominator 1.602 cross times 10 to the power of negative 13 end exponent end fraction space equals space 2.808 space cross times 10 to the power of 27 M e V$

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