Asked by jdjadn
The diagram below shows a fusion reaction.
A very large amount of energy is required to force the two smaller hydrogen atoms to combine to form helium-4.
What is true about the balance of energy in a fusion reaction?
A.
The energy used is equal to the energy released.
B.
The energy released is greater than the energy used.
C.
The energy released cannot be measured.
D.
The energy used is greater than the energy released.
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
B.
Although energy must be supplied to overcome electrostatic repulsion and initiate fusion, the fused helium nucleus has a larger binding energy per nucleon (a lower mass) than the separate hydrogen nuclei. The mass defect appears as released energy (E = mc^2), so the energy released is greater than the input.
Although energy must be supplied to overcome electrostatic repulsion and initiate fusion, the fused helium nucleus has a larger binding energy per nucleon (a lower mass) than the separate hydrogen nuclei. The mass defect appears as released energy (E = mc^2), so the energy released is greater than the input.
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