Chemistry › Section U · Nuclear chemistry › Topic U.4
Transmutation and nuclear energy
Nuclear reactions can turn one element into another on demand, and they can release millions of times more energy per gram than any fuel we burn. This topic covers how new nuclides are made, how fission powers reactors, and why fusion, the energy source of the Sun, is so hard to tame.
In this topic
- Transmutation
- Making elements beyond uranium
- Fission
- Worked example: energy from a gram of uranium-235
- Chain reactions and critical mass
- Inside a fission reactor
- Risks: meltdown and waste
- Fusion
- Worked example: deuterium–tritium fusion
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
This topic is part of Wuanberri Pro. Checking your access…