Question

Hydrogen can be made to use to form helium at

• A. Low pressure and high temperature
• B. High pressure and high temperature
• C. Low pressure and low temperature
• D. High pressure and low temperature

Answer 1

The correct option is B

High pressure and high temperature

Nuclear fusion

• Is a reaction through which two or more light nuclei collide to form a heavier nucleus.
• The nuclear fusion process occurs in elements that have a low atomic number, such as hydrogen.

The explanation for the correct answer

• A fusion reaction is difficult to occur because positively charged nuclei repel each other.
• At very high temperatures of the order of 10⁶ to 10^7, the nuclei may have sufficient energy to overcome the repulsive forces and fuse.
• It is for this reason, fusion reactions are also called thermonuclear reactions.
• Hence, hydrogen can be fused to form helium at high temperatures and high pressure.

There fore the correct option is (B) i.e High temperature and high pressure.