![]() ![]() The pressure to force the nuclei together is created using incredibly strong magnetic fields and these require a lot of electrical power to maintain. The temperature has to exceed millions of degrees in order to strip the electrons away from the nucleus before fusion can commence. The problem with fusion is that it requires such a large amount of energy to get it going. Scientists have been trying for many years to develop a nuclear fusion reactor that could be used in a power station but have encountered many difficulties. Why are we not using fission at the moment? This then collides with another uranium atom which causes it to break down and the cycle continues in a chain reaction until the uranium is almost all used up and is replaced. The breakdown also produces a fast moving alpha particle (made of 2 neutrons and two protons). This is the opposite of fusion because it takes large, heavy, unstable atoms of uranium and splits it into smaller atoms, which releases energy. How does it differ from current nuclear power?Īt the moment, nuclear power stations use a process called nuclear fission. Fusing small atoms (like hydrogen and helium) together releases a huge amount of energy – approximately 3 to 4 times that produced by current techniques. At the Sun’s core the temperature and pressure are so high that nuclei of atoms get closer and closer together and eventually fuse making one, large nucleus. ![]() Nuclear fusion, as suggested by the name, involves the fusing together of nuclei. In light of recent breakthroughs regarding nuclear fusion power, here’s Impact’s quick guide to this developing energy source. ![]()
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