Question

Which type of reaction does this diagram represent?

mc007-1.jpg
nuclear fusion because nuclei combine to form a heavy nucleus
nuclear fission because an atom is splitting into two large fragments of comparable mass
nuclear fusion because a large amount of energy is being released
nuclear fission because the resulting products are not radioactive

Answer 1

Answer: nuclear fission — because the diagram shows a nucleus splitting into two large fragments of comparable mass.

(Notes: fusion is the joining of light nuclei, not splitting; both fusion and fission release energy, so “energy released” alone doesn’t identify fusion; fission products are generally radioactive, so the last option is false.)