Question

Does nuclear fusion of light nuclei occur in fire or boiling water?

Answer 1

Iron-56 has the highest binding energy per nucleon, which means it is the most stable nucleus. Roughly speaking, elements left of iron-56 in this graph can release energy by fusion. You could also fuse elements heavier than iron-56, but this will only cost you energy.

Another restriction on which fusion reactions are useful for energy production is the Coulomb barrier. When you want to fuse two nuclei together, you have to bring them veryclose together, within the range of the nuclear force. Remember, however, that the nuclei consist of neutrons and protons, and so they are positively charged. That means to bring two nuclei very close together, you have to also do work against the coulombic force which is trying to push them apart.

When you use heavier nuclei, they will have more protons, and so the coulombic repulsion between the nuclei will increase. The means that you need to put in more energy in order to fuse the nuclei together. Because this only detracts from the efficiency of the process, it is favorable to use lighter nuclei for nuclear fusion reactors.

Answer 2

Explanation:

Fusion power is a proposed form of power generation that would generate electricity by using heat from nuclear fusion reactions. In a fusion process, two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing energy. Devices designed to harness this energy are known as fusion reactors.

Fusion processes require fuel and a confined environment with sufficient temperature, pressure and confinement time to create a plasma in which fusion can occur. The combination of these figures that results in a power-producing system is known as the Lawson criterion. In stars, the most common fuel is hydrogen, and gravity provides extremely long confinement times that reach the conditions needed for fusion energy production. Proposed fusion reactors generally use hydrogen isotopes such as deuterium and tritium, which react more easily than hydrogen to allow them to reach the Lawson criterion requirements with less extreme conditions. Most designs aim to heat their fuel to tens of millions of degrees, which presents a major challenge in producing a successful design.