Nuclear fusion

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Fusion is the process of making a single heavier atom from two lighter atoms. Although the resultant atom is heavier than either of the individual starting atoms, it is not as heavy as the combined (joined) original weight of the starting atoms. This lost mass (stuff) is converted (changed) in to lots of energy (heat and light). Einsteins famous E=mc2 equation (maths) describes the relationship between mass (called m in physics), energy (called E), and c2 which stands for the speed of light multiplied by itself. c2 and the speed of light are called constants because they do not change, this is a very important idea used in lots of modern complicated (hard) physics, with fusion it describes how much energy will be made from the joining of atoms.

Fusion is found in the middle of stars like the Sun where hydrogen (the lightest atom) and then helium (the second lightest atom) are fused (joined) together to make energy. This energy reaches us on Earth as sun light and heat and helps all life to surivive (live) by making plants grow, and warming the oceans to make clouds and the weather.

Not all atoms can be joined together; the heavier the atom is the less easily it can be joined with another atom. After atoms get as heavy as Iron (a metal) no energy is released in the reaction anymore. This is what causes stars to die. They join all of their atoms together to make heavier atoms of different types, until they start to make Iron. After they start to make Iron using fusion, they cannot make heat and light as easily as before and begin to cool down and eventually die. Don't worry though as it takes a very long time for stars to die, much longer than the age of the Earth.

Fusion is important for people to understand. Now that we have learnt about fusion and stars we can change how our nuclear (uses atoms) power stations work. Currently nuclear power stations split heavy atoms up to make energy using something called fission, this is the opposite of fusion and does not produce as much energy. The heavy atoms needed for nuclear power plants today are hard to find and have to be mined from the ground and costs a lot of money. With fusion power only Hydrogen is needed and this can be made from water from the sea or a lake using electrolysis (electricity). Since water is everywhere we will have lots of it to use to make lots more power for far less money. Fusion seems as an ideal energy source in the near future, as oil and conventional energy sources such as oil and petrol are depleted.

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