Asked by severia

Which statement describes the differences between nuclear reactions and chemical reactions?

Nuclear reactions involve changes to electrons, while chemical reactions involve changes to protons and neutrons.

Only chemical reactions can be exothermic.

Chemical reactions can result in new compounds, while nuclear reactions can result in new elements.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The correct statement is the third one: "Chemical reactions can result in new compounds, while nuclear reactions can result in new elements."

Brief notes:
- Statement 1 is reversed/incorrect: chemical reactions involve changes in the arrangement of electrons (bonds), while nuclear reactions involve changes to protons and/or neutrons in the nucleus.
- Statement 2 is false: nuclear reactions can also be exothermic (e.g., fission and fusion release large amounts of energy).