Textbook Question
How does a chain reaction occur in nuclear fission?
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Ch.5 Nuclear Chemistry
Timberlake13th EditionChemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9780134421353
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Table of contents
- Ch.1 Chemistry in Our Lives11
- Ch.2 Chemistry and Measurements80
- Ch.3 Matter and Energy54
- Ch.4 Atoms and Elements51
- Ch.5 Nuclear Chemistry42
- Ch.6 Ionic and Molecular Compounds57
- Ch.7 Chemical Quantities and Reactions41
- Ch.8 Gases29
- Ch.9 Solutions51
- Ch.10 Acids and Bases and Equilibrium65
- Ch.11 Introduction to Organic Chemistry: Hydrocarbons78
- Ch.12 Alcohols, Thiols, Ethers, Aldehydes, and Ketones83
- Ch.13 Carbohydrates54
- Ch.14 Carboxylic Acids, Esters, Amines, and Amides90
- Ch.15 Lipids61
- Ch.16 Amino Acids, Proteins, and Enzymes84
- Ch.17 Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis83
- Ch.18 Metabolic Pathways and ATP Production67
Timberlake13th EditionChemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9780134421353Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 5, Problem 45b
Indicate whether each of the following is characteristic of the fission or fusion process, or both:
b. The nuclear process occurs in the Sun.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the two nuclear processes: Fission and Fusion. Fission is the splitting of a heavy nucleus into smaller nuclei, releasing energy. Fusion is the combining of light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, also releasing energy.
Step 2: Recall that the Sun generates energy through nuclear reactions. Specifically, it involves the fusion of hydrogen nuclei (protons) to form helium nuclei.
Step 3: Recognize that fusion is the process responsible for the Sun's energy production. This is because the Sun's core has the high temperature and pressure conditions necessary for fusion to occur.
Step 4: Conclude that the nuclear process occurring in the Sun is characteristic of fusion, not fission.
Step 5: Note that while both fission and fusion release energy, only fusion is relevant to the Sun's energy production.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a significant amount of energy. This process is the primary reaction that powers stars, including the Sun, where hydrogen nuclei fuse to create helium under extreme temperature and pressure conditions.
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Physical & Chemical Changes
Nuclear Fission
Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy atomic nucleus into two or more lighter nuclei, accompanied by the release of energy. This process is commonly used in nuclear reactors and atomic bombs, but it does not occur naturally in stars like the Sun, which primarily rely on fusion.
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Energy Release in Nuclear Reactions
Both fission and fusion release energy due to the conversion of mass into energy, as described by Einstein's equation E=mc². However, fusion releases much more energy per reaction compared to fission, which is why it is the dominant process in stellar environments like the Sun.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
In problems 5.51 to 5.54, a nucleus is shown with protons and neutrons.
Draw the nucleus that emits a beta particle to complete the following:
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Textbook Question
In problems 5.51 to 5.54, a nucleus is shown with protons and neutrons.
Draw the nucleus of the isotope that is bombarded in the following:
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Textbook Question
In problems 5.51 to 5.54, a nucleus is shown with protons and neutrons.
Draw the new nucleus when this isotope emits a positron to complete the following:
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Textbook Question
Technetium-99m emits only gamma radiation. Why would this type of radiation be used in diagnostic imaging rather than an isotope that also emits beta or alpha radiation?
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Textbook Question
In another fission reaction, uranium-235 bombarded with a neutron produces strontium-94, another small nucleus, and three neutrons. Write the balanced nuclear equation for the fission reaction.
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