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Every star goes through a life cycle, which is determined by its size.

Radioactivity - Nuclear Fusion

In GCSE Physics you study nuclear fusion, where light nuclei join together and release enormous energy, similar to the reactions powering our Sun and other stars.

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Fascinating Fact:

Fusion requires extremely high temperatures and pressures so that nuclei can overcome their electrostatic repulsion.

In GCSE Physics, nuclear fusion is the process where small nuclei, such as isotopes of hydrogen, combine to form larger nuclei. You explore how fusion powers stars, why it is difficult to reproduce on Earth, and why scientists are interested in fusion as a possible future energy source.

Key Terms

Nuclear fusion: A reaction where light atomic nuclei join together to form a heavier nucleus, releasing large amounts of energy.
Plasma: A very hot, ionised gas made of charged particles, often needed for fusion reactions.
Electrostatic repulsion: The force that pushes positively charged nuclei apart because they have the same charge.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is nuclear fusion in GCSE Physics?

In GCSE Physics, nuclear fusion is described as a reaction where small nuclei, like deuterium and tritium, join together to form a larger nucleus. This process releases a lot of energy.

Why does nuclear fusion need very high temperature and pressure?

Nuclear fusion needs extremely high temperature and pressure so that nuclei move fast enough and are pushed close enough together to overcome their electrostatic repulsion and collide.

Is nuclear fusion used in power stations today?

At the moment, commercial power stations do not use nuclear fusion. Fusion is still being researched in experimental reactors, which aim to show that it can produce useful electricity in the future.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Every star goes through a life cycle. What is this life cycle determined by?

Elements within the star

Size of the star

Gravity surrounding the star

Number of planets orbiting the star

Stars containing the most mass burn the brightest and have the shortest lifespan. Without these super-massive stars, only the elements up to and including iron would exist naturally

2 .

Which element is the main source of fuel that our sun uses for the process of nuclear fusion?

Hydrogen

Zinc

Boron

Lead

The Sun is about four and a half thousand million years old. This is about half way through its life cycle

3 .

How were most of the heavier elements in the universe created?

Within stars and ejected into space when the stars exploded

Gravity pulled smaller atoms together

Electro-attraction

Smaller atoms randomly collided together to form heavier elements

It is in supernova explosions that the naturally-occurring elements with atomic numbers greater than that of iron are formed

4 .

What is nuclear fusion?

Nuclear fusion is the separation of an atomic nucleus into two smaller nuclei

Nuclear fusion is the joining of two atomic nuclei into one larger nucleus

Nuclear fusion is the process by which atoms absorb energy

Nuclear fusion occurs when atoms absorb electrons

The process requires large amounts of energy to start. When it has started, the energy released from the fusion reaction is more than enough to keep it going - it is a chain reaction. Overall, it is highly exothermic

5 .

Which element was abundant in the early universe?

Hydrogen

Iron

Oxygen

Zinc

It is the simplest element

6 .

When a star dies, which of the following could a star turn into?

White dwarf

Black hole

Supernova

All of the above

The material in a white dwarf is extremely dense as there is no more radiation pressure from nuclear fusion to balance the inward pull of gravity

7 .

What force pulls dust and gas together in space to form stars?

Electro-weak force

Electromagnetic force

Gravity

Strong force

Anything that has mass has a gravitational attraction, however small

8 .

How can we detect black holes if we can't see them?

We can see them when other stars shine on them

We can detect their immense gravitation strength affecting other objects

We can send probes into space and if we lose one we know it has entered a black hole

There is no way to detect black holes

No one has ever seen a black hole directly, but we know they are there because of the gravitational effect they have on other objects within their vicinity

9 .

Why does a star not explode or collapse during the 'main sequence' of its life?

Not enough energy within the star to explode or collapse

The forces within it are in equilibrium

The star is solid so cannot collapse

They do explode when they reach their 'main sequence'

The gravitational pull of the weight of the star is in equilibrium with the outward radiation pressure generated by the burning of the fuel within the core of the star

10 .

Which of the following is an example of nuclear fusion?

Energy released by nuclear power plants

Energy created to power trains

Energy released in stars

Energy released to thrust rockets into space

Stars are excellent examples of the process of nuclear fusion. They burn vast quantities of fuel every second, and reach incredibly hot temperatures

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Nuclear fusion

Author: Martin Moore