Which statement is TRUE about nuclear FUSION?
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1 point
Nuclear fusion only releases a small amount of energy.
Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form one, heavier atom
Nuclear fusion is used to provide electricity at nuclear power plants
Nuclear fusion is when atoms split apart
Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form one, heavier atom.
The statement that is TRUE about nuclear fusion is: Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form one, heavier atom.
To determine which statement is true about nuclear fusion, we need to understand the process of nuclear fusion.
Nuclear fusion is a process in which two light atomic nuclei, typically hydrogen isotopes, combine to form a heavier nucleus. This process releases a large amount of energy. Therefore, we can eliminate statement 1, "Nuclear fusion only releases a small amount of energy."
Next, let's consider statement 2, "Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form one, heavier atom." This statement correctly describes the process of nuclear fusion, so it is a true statement.
Moving on to statement 3, "Nuclear fusion is used to provide electricity at nuclear power plants." While nuclear power plants do generate electricity, they generally use nuclear fission, not fusion. Nuclear fission is the process of splitting atomic nuclei, not combining them. Therefore, statement 3 is not true regarding nuclear fusion.
Finally, statement 4, "Nuclear fusion is when atoms split apart," is incorrect. As mentioned earlier, nuclear fusion is the process of combining atomic nuclei, not splitting them.
In conclusion, the true statement about nuclear fusion is: "Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form one, heavier atom."