Question

Solar energy is due to

• A. fusion reaction
• B. fission reaction
• C. combustion reaction
• D. chemical reaction

Hint:

Nuclear Fusion is a reaction in which two or more small nuclei combine together to form a large nucleus. It is generally called a nuclear process in which the energy is produced due to smashing of two or more small atoms.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Solar energy is due to the Fusion reaction.

The Sun is a ball of gas, just like other stars. In terms of atoms, it is made up of 91.0 percent hydrogen and 8.9 percent helium. The Sun is composed of around 70.6% hydrogen and 27.4% helium by mass.
 

• Fission is the process by which a big, unstable nucleus splits into two smaller, more stable nuclei, while fusion is the process by which two small, stable nuclei combine to release a significant amount of energy.
• In the process of nuclear fusion, two or more atomic nuclei combine to form one or more new atomic nuclei as well as subatomic (neutron or proton) particles.
• Nuclear processes that produce energy include both fission and fusion.
• When protons of hydrogen atoms hit forcefully in the sun's core, they fuse to generate helium. This process is known as fusion.
• Although fission-generated energy is not equivalent to fusion-generated energy, hydrogen is consumed in the sun's core at temperatures that allow for hydrogen fusion, making fusion the dominant source of energy per cubic meter rather than the fission of radioisotopes with very low abundances. 
• As long as the temperatures and densities are high enough to trigger fusion, fission is not a significant energy source.
• The inference is that nuclear fusion that occurs in the sun is what produces solar energy.

Discover more from this chapter: Nuclei
 

 

Answer 2

The corrrect option is option (A): Fusion reaction.

Real Life Applications

Nowadays, solar energy is widely used all across the globe. This is because it is a renewable source of energy. Some of them are as follows: 

• Solar panel 
• Solar water heater 
• Solar cookers 
• Solar powered satellite 
• Soar batteries 

All these use sunlight to generate energy that can b further used in various applications. 

Question can also be asked as

1. What is the source of solar energy? 
2. How can one generate solar energy? 
3. What is solar energy and what are its types? 

Answer 3

Nuclear Fusion is a reaction in which two or more small nuclei combine together to form a large nucleus. It is generally called a nuclear process in which the energy is produced due to smashing of two or more small atoms. This process can be applied on elements with low atomic numbers such as Hydrogen.

How does Nuclear Fusion work?

An atom of Helium and a fast neutron are created when Deuterium and Tritium fuse together and combine their constituent parts. The recombination of two potent isotopes results in the conversion of the additional mass into kinetic energy. The closer the nuclei are to the reaction, the more charged the nuclear forces will get and the better they will respond.

Fusion Power

We have already studied a reaction in which two isotopes are fused together to form helium and a neutron. The leftover extra energy is converted into Kinetic Energy, according to the famous formula developed by Albert Einstein:

E = mc²

In a fusion cycle, Helium is prepared which is the next heaviest element to the isotopes of Hydrogen.

In extremely high temperatures, electrons will get separated from the atomic nuclei by which it will form plasma. Under these conditions, positive nuclei are kept apart whereas light elements are taken to form other elements.

Nuclear Fusion in the Universe

The sun and stars get their powers through nuclear fusion. Every star in the universe is ultimately alive due to the occurrence of nuclear fusion in it. Nuclear Fusion is the process in which a big amount of heat and energy is produced due to the reaction of atoms in the universe. 

• Pressure in the stars is very high because of the occurrence of nuclear fusion in them.
• The temperature of the sun in the universe is around 15 million degrees Celsius.
• This causes the two isotopes of Hydrogen to convert into Helium with a massive amount of heat and energy.
• A very high-pressure is asserted at this high temperature.
• Various reactions take place in the sun where around 600 million tons of Hydrogen is converted to the various Helium atoms every second.