Nuclear Fission &

Fusion

Prepared by:
Queendy Aspiras
Fundamental forces in Nature
1. Gravitational force: Mass objects

2. Electromagnetic: Charged objects

3. Nuclear Force: Acts between

nucleons
 History:
Hahn & Strassman
(1939)

•Bombarded Uranium-235 samples with neutrons

expecting the Uranium-235 to capture neutrons

•Instead, the products showed different chemical

properties that they could not explain
 Meitner & Frisch

•Explained Hahn & Strassman

results.

•Instead of heavier Uranium, it

had split into smaller elements =
Nuclear Fission
 Nuclear Forces Concepts
1) Electric repulsion – ________
same charge particles
repel each other
2) Strong Nuclear Force – causes protons and
attract each other
neutrons to ________
3) Stable Nuclei = strong nuclear force is
greater than repulsion force
________
4) Unstable Nuclei = strong nuclear force is
________
less than repulsion force
o Have too many or too few neutrons in nucleus
o Have more than 83 protons in nucleus
o Will decay into a more stable nucleus
 Nuclear force
Nuclear force has
both an attractive
and repulsive nature.
 Over short distances the attractive
part of the nuclear force
dominates, thus stabilizing the
nucleus

 At large separation distances the

nuclear force between nucleons has
a similar behaviour as the electrical
force
Binding Energy Per Nucleon
 Increase in atomic number ->
Increase repulsion between protons.
 No repulsion between neutrons and
other particles (Only attraction at
short range)
 Repulsion increases within the nucleus
as more protons are added ->more
neutron are required .
 Nuclear Fission

- splitting of heavier nuclei

to lighter
nuclei.
 Nuclear Fission
In nuclear fission,
 a large nucleus is bombarded with a
small particle
 the nucleus splits
into smaller nuclei
and several
neutrons
 large amounts of
energy are released
 Nuclear Fission
When a neutron bombards U-235,
 an unstable nucleus of U-236 forms
and undergoes fission (splits)
 smaller nuclei are produced such as
Kr-91 and
Ba-142
 neutrons are released to bombard
more 235U
Nuclear Fission Diagram and
Equation

1
0 n + 23592 U  236
92 U 
91
36 Kr + 142
56 Ba + 31
0 n + energy
 Learning Check
Supply the missing atomic symbol to
complete the equation for the following
nuclear fission reaction.

1
0 n + 235
92 U  137
52
1
Te + ? + 2 n + energy
0
 Solution

1
0 n + 235
92 U  137
52
97 1
Te + Zr + 2 n + energy
40 0
 Nuclear Chain Reactions:
• Nuclear fission releases more neutrons which trigger
more fission reactions
neutrons released determines the
• The number of ________
success of a chain reaction.
A chain reaction occurs
 when a critical mass of
uranium undergoes
fission
 releasing a large
amount of heat and
energy that produces
an atomic explosion
 Applications of Controlling Chain
Reactions
1) Atomic Bomb (fission bomb) – Triggering a
chain reaction in U-235 or Pu-239
 Must have a minimum amount of radioactive
isotope to sustain a chain reaction
CRITICAL _______
=_________ MASS
2) Nuclear Power Plants – Convert heat energy
from fission chain reaction into
__________.
electricity
control rods that
Control chain reaction with _________
neutrons emitted after fission
absorb ________
reaction.
 Nuclear
Power Plants
 Nuclear Power
Plants
In nuclear power plants,
 fission is used to produce
energy
 control rods in the reactor
absorb neutrons to slow and
control the chain reactions of
fission
Nuclear Power Plants
 Nuclear Fusion
- Energy released when two light
nuclei combine or fuse
•However, a large amount of energy is
required to start a fusion reaction:
o Need this energy to overcome
repulsion forces of protons.
________
o Extremely high temperatures can
provide start-up energy.
 Nuclear Fusion
 More energy in fusing hydrogen that fission
of uranium

Nuclear fusion
 occurs at extremely high temperatures
(100 000 000 °C)
 combines small nuclei into larger nuclei
 releases large amounts of energy
 occurs continuously in the sun and stars
Nuclear Fusion
Stars energy is produced
through fusion reactions
Fusion occurs until Fe is
produced because less energy
is released than required to
fuse Fe nuclei =

Star burns
_____ out
____ ____
Are you ready
now for a Quiz?
Let’s check your
learning!
 Learning Check
Indicate if each of the following describes
1) nuclear fission or 2) nuclear fusion.
___ A. several neutrons are released
___ B. large amounts of energy are released
___ C. small nuclei form larger nuclei
___ D. hydrogen nuclei react
___ E. nucleus splits
___ F. It occurs continuously in the sun and
stars
 Learning Check
Provide the terms defined by the concepts
below.
1.) Nuclear fission releases more neutrons which
trigger more fission reactions =________
2.) Must have a minimum amount of radioactive
isotope to sustain a chain reaction =________
3.) Nuclear Power Plants – Convert heat energy
from fission chain reaction into =________
4.) A radioactive element commonly used for
nuclear fission =________
 Answer
Indicate if each of the following describes
1) nuclear fission or 2) nuclear fusion.
_1_ A. several neutrons are released
1,2 B. large amounts of energy are released
_2_ C. small nuclei form larger nuclei
_2_ D. hydrogen nuclei react
_1_ E. nucleus splits
_2_ F. It occurs continuously in the sun and
stars
 Answer 10/10
Provide the terms defined by the concepts
below.
1.) Nuclear fission releases more neutrons which
trigger more fission reactions =Chain_Reaction
2.) Must have a minimum amount of radioactive
isotope to sustain a chain reaction =Critical_Mass
3.) Nuclear Power Plants – Convert heat energy
from fission chain reaction into =Electricity
4.) A radioactive element commonly used for
nuclear fission =Uranium
Thank You
Queendy B. Aspiras