Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 21: Problem 44

Why do heavy elements such as uranium undergo fission while light elements such as hydrogen and lithium undergo fusion?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Heavy elements such as uranium undergo fission because they are unstable and large, meaning they can gain stability when split into smaller nuclei. Meanwhile, light elements such as hydrogen and lithium undergo fusion because, by combining with other nuclei, they can form larger, more stable atoms.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Fission

Fission is a nuclear process where a heavy nucleus splits into two or more lighter ones. Big, heavy, unstable atomic nuclei like uranium have an excess of energy. It's easier for them to break apart (undergo fission) and release this excess energy, which results in more stable, lighter elements.
02

Understanding Fusion

Fusion, on the other hand, is the process where two or more light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. It's more frequently seen amongst lighter elements like hydrogen and lithium because they can increase their stability by combining nuclei to form heavier elements.
03

Balancing the Forces

Atomic nuclei are held together by the strong nuclear force. For smaller atoms, the nuclear force can overcome the repulsive force that pushes the protons apart. However, in larger atoms, the strong nuclear force isn't as effective against the repulsive force at long distances, making larger nuclei more unstable.
04

Gain in Stability

Both fission and fusion processes are driven by the principle of gaining stability. Large, heavy elements undergo fission to become more stable, while light elements undergo fusion to reach a more stable state.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

How is nuclear transmutation achieved in practice?

From the definition of curie, calculate Avogadro's number, given that the molar mass of \({ }^{226} \mathrm{Ra}\) is \(226.03 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{mol}\) and that it decays with a half-life of \(1.6 \times 10^{3} \mathrm{yr}\)

In each pair of isotopes shown, indicate which one you would expect to be radioactive: (a) \({ }_{10}^{20} \mathrm{Ne}\) and \({ }_{10}^{17} \mathrm{Ne},(\mathrm{b}){ }_{20}^{40} \mathrm{Ca}\) and \({ }_{20}^{45} \mathrm{Ca},(\mathrm{c}){ }_{44}^{95} \mathrm{Mo}\) and \({ }_{43}^{92} \mathrm{Tc},(\mathrm{d}){ }_{80}^{195} \mathrm{Hg}\) and \({ }^{196} \mathrm{Hg},\) (e) \({ }^{209} \mathrm{Bi}\) and \({ }_{96}^{242} \mathrm{Cm}\)

For each pair of isotopes listed, predict which one is less stable: (a) \({ }_{3}^{6} \mathrm{Li}\) or \({ }_{3}^{9} \mathrm{Li},\) (b) \({ }_{11}^{23} \mathrm{Na}\) or \({ }_{11}^{25} \mathrm{Na},\) (c) \({ }_{20}^{48} \mathrm{Ca}\) or \({ }_{21}^{48} \mathrm{Sc}\).

Write balanced nuclear equations for these reactions and identify \(X:(a){ }_{34}^{80} S e(d, p) X,(b) X(d, 2 p)_{3}^{9} L i,\) (c) \({ }_{5}^{10} \mathrm{~B}(\mathrm{n}, \alpha) \mathrm{X}\).
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation

Kinetics

Read Explanation

Nuclear Chemistry

Read Explanation

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

The Earths Atmosphere

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free