Which statement is always true when nuclear fusion occurs.
When nuclear fusion occurs, the statement that is always true is that it releases an immense amount of energy. To understand why this statement is true, let me explain the process of nuclear fusion and how it leads to energy release.
Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two atomic nuclei fuse together to form a heavier nucleus. This process is the same reaction that powers the sun and other stars. In stars, the fusion of hydrogen nuclei to form helium is the most common type of fusion reaction.
To get some insight into why nuclear fusion releases energy, we need to understand a concept called nuclear binding energy. Atomic nuclei are held together by the strong nuclear force, but it requires energy to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between positively charged protons within the nucleus. The difference between the mass of a nucleus and the sum of the masses of its individual protons and neutrons is known as the mass defect, which represents the energy that was released when the nucleus was formed. According to Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle (E=mc²), this mass defect is converted into energy.
During nuclear fusion, when atomic nuclei combine, the resulting nucleus has a slightly lower mass than the combined masses of the original nuclei. This difference in mass is converted into an enormous amount of energy, following Einstein's principle. This energy is released in the form of gamma rays, which can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat or light.
So, to recap, the statement that is always true when nuclear fusion occurs is that it releases an immense amount of energy. This is because the process involves the conversion of a small amount of mass into a large amount of energy, as described by Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle.