The Sun has a power of 3.85*10^26W; 90% of this energy comes from nuclear reactions in the proton-proton chain. Show that the energy produced by all the reactions is about 25 MeV. Determine the number of reactions that occur each second. How much hydrogen is "burned" each second? The Sun is composed of 75% hydrogen, calculate the number of years during which it will be able to "burn" this fuel. (Answers: 8.75*10^37; 5.85*10^11kg; 81.3 billion years)
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is a type of nuclear reaction. In nuclear fusion, two or more than two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. During this process, an enormous amount of energy is released. This energy is called nuclear energy. Nuclear fusion is the energy source of the sun and stars.
Fusion Bomb
A fusion bomb is also known as a thermonuclear bomb or hydrogen bomb which releases a large amount of explosive energy during a nuclear chain reaction when the lighter nuclei in it, combine to form heavier nuclei, and a large amount of radiation is released. It is an uncontrolled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction where isotopes of hydrogen combine under very high temperature to form helium. They work on the principle of operation of atomic fusion. The isotopes of Hydrogen are deuterium and tritium, where they combine their masses and have greater mass than the product nuclei, get heated at high temperatures, and releases energy.
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