Fusion of Deuterium and Tritium: What Happens?
What is the result of the combination of deuterium and tritium during fusion in terms of the nuclei?
a) Two lighter nuclei form a lighter nucleus and release energy.
b) Two lighter nuclei form a nucleus with fewer protons and release energy.
c) Two lighter nuclei form a heavier nucleus and release energy.
d) Two lighter nuclei form a nucleus with fewer electrons and release energy.
Final answer:
The result of the combination of deuterium and tritium during fusion is C) Two lighter nuclei form a heavier nucleus and release energy.
Explanation:
The result of the combination of deuterium and tritium during fusion is that two lighter nuclei form a heavier nucleus and release energy. This process is known as nuclear fusion, where two nuclei combine to form a larger nucleus.
In the case of deuterium and tritium, they combine to form a helium nucleus and a neutron, releasing a significant amount of energy in the process.
The fusion reaction involves two protons combining to create a deuterium nucleus, which is an isotope of hydrogen containing one proton and one neutron. One original proton is converted into a neutron, and a positron emerges from the reaction to carry away the positive charge.
The fusion of deuterium and tritium releases a large amount of energy and is the basis for energy production in stars like the Sun.
The resulting nucleus is heavier because the combined mass of the two lighter nuclei is less than the mass of the resulting nucleus. According to Einstein's mass-energy equivalence equation (E=mc^2), the lost mass is converted into energy, which is released during fusion.
Therefore, the correct answer is C) Two lighter nuclei form a heavier nucleus and release energy.