Q.Explain what are nuclear fission and fusion giving an example of each. Write down the formulae for energy generated in each of these processes.

[!TLDR] Fission splits a heavy nucleus into lighter, more tightly bound fragments (e.g. $^{236}U\rightarrow\,^{137}I+\,^{97}Y+2n$); fusion combines light nuclei into a heavier, more tightly bound one (e.g. $4\,^1H\rightarrow\,^4He+2e^++2\nu$). Both use $Q=[\sum m_{reactants}-\sum m_{products}]c^2$. [!ANSWER] Fission example $^{23 …

Nuclear fission is the splitting of a heavy nucleus into two lighter nuclei. It happens because, per Fig.15.6, mid-mass nuclei (A roughly 50-150) have HIGHER binding energy per nucleon than very heavy nuclei (A around 230), so splitting a heavy nucleus into two mid-mass fragments releases energy. A representative example is one of $^{236}U$'s fission channels, $_{92}^{236}U\rightarrow\,_{53}^{137}I+\,_{39}^{97}Y+2n$, whose energy release is given by $Q=[m_U-m_I-m_Y-2m_n]c^2$, working out to about 177 MeV for this particular channel. Nuclear fusion is the opposite process, combining two light nuclei (A below about 40, which also sit BELOW the binding-energy peak) into one heavier, more tightly bound nucleus, again releasing energy for exactly the same underlying reason -- moving toward the peak of Fig.15.6's curve. The Sun's core fusion is the standard example: the net reaction $4\,^1H\rightarrow\,^4He+2e^++2\nu+26.7$ MeV (proceeding through several intermediate steps, not a literal 4-body collision), with Q given by $[4m_p-m_{He}-2m_e]c^2$ (about 24.7 MeV if the small energy carried away by the two n …

Explain each process in terms of moving toward the peak of the $E_B/A$ vs A curve, give a concrete example equation for each, and state the shared gene …

Describing fission and fusion as opposite in every respect, without noting the deeper similarity -- BOTH release energy for the same reason (moving nuclei toward higher binding en …