Physics › Section V · Nuclear physics and its applications › Topic V.6
Fusion, fission, and nuclear weapons
Joining light nuclei powers the Sun, and splitting heavy ones powers nuclear reactors. Both release energy for the same reason, and the same physics, uncontrolled, lies behind nuclear weapons.
In this topic
- Two roads to the peak
- Fusion needs extreme temperatures
- The proton-proton chain
- Worked example: energy from the proton-proton chain
- Fusion on Earth
- Worked example: sharing the energy of D-T fusion
- Fission of uranium-235
- Worked example: one fission from masses
- Chain reactions and reactors
- Nuclear weapons: the physics
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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