which describes nuclear fusion?
a. starts when two atoms slam together to form one, heavier atom.
b. starts when a neutron slams into an atom, causing two atoms to form one, heavier atom.
c. starts when two atoms slam together, causing the larger atom to split into two smaller atoms.
d. starts when a neutron slam into an atom, causing the larger atom to split into two smaller atoms.
b. starts when a neutron slams into an atom, causing two atoms to form one, heavier atom.
a. starts when two atoms slam together to form one, heavier atom.
The correct answer is none of the options provided.
Nuclear fusion is a process in which two atomic nuclei come together to form a heavier nucleus. It occurs at extremely high temperatures and pressures, typically in the core of stars like our Sun. The energy released during nuclear fusion is what powers the Sun and other stars.
To understand how nuclear fusion works, let's break down the options provided:
a. "Starts when two atoms slam together to form one, heavier atom." This option is partially correct in terms of two atoms coming together, but it doesn't accurately describe nuclear fusion because the process involves atomic nuclei, not just atoms.
b. "Starts when a neutron slams into an atom, causing two atoms to form one, heavier atom." Again, this option describes atoms rather than atomic nuclei. Additionally, nuclear fusion involves the combination of atomic nuclei, not the creation of a single heavier atom.
c. "Starts when two atoms slam together, causing the larger atom to split into two smaller atoms." This option describes nuclear fission, where a larger atom splits into two smaller atoms, releasing energy. It does not describe nuclear fusion properly.
d. "Starts when a neutron slams into an atom, causing the larger atom to split into two smaller atoms." This option correctly describes nuclear fission, not nuclear fusion. In nuclear fission, a neutron collides with an atom, causing it to split into two smaller atoms while releasing energy.
To summarize, none of the options accurately describe nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is the process in which two atomic nuclei come together, through high temperatures and pressures, to form a heavier nucleus. It is different from nuclear fission, which is the splitting of a heavier atom into two smaller atoms.