Question

Nuclear energy comes from either nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. In nuclear fission, the nucleus of a large atom, such as uranium, is split apart, which can occur from shooting neutrons at the nuclei. When a nucleus splits, it releases a great deal of energy and shoots its own neutrons out. These neutrons in turn may hit more nuclei until a chain reaction is formed, splitting more and more atoms. If left unchecked, the result is a nuclear explosion, which releases tremendous amounts of energy, much of it thermal, and destroys everything nearby. If the process is controlled, then the amount of thermal energy that's released can be harnessed and used to do work. In a nuclear power plant, for example, the thermal energy that's produced is used to boil water, which in turn is used to turn electric turbines and produce electricity.

Nuclear fusion produces even more energy than nuclear fission. Instead of breaking down large atoms, in nuclear fusion, two small hydrogen atoms are fused together to form a larger helium atom. This releases tremendous amounts of energy, which can be measured by Einstein's E = mc^2 equation. Nuclear fusion produces most of the sun's and other stars' energy.

What is the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?
A
Nuclear fusion explodes the nucleus of an atom, while nuclear fission harnesses the atom’s kinetic energy.
B
Nuclear fission splits an atom apart, while nuclear fusion fuses two atoms together.
C
Nuclear fission creates electrical energy, while nuclear fusion creates chemical energy.
D
Nuclear fusion splits hydrogen atoms apart, while nuclear fission fuses uranium atoms together.

Answer 1

The correct answer is **B**: Nuclear fission splits an atom apart, while nuclear fusion fuses two atoms together.