The Basics
Nuclear
fusion is the reaction of two atomic nuclei
fusing together. This reaction results in larger nuclei
with energy being
released by the reaction. The mass of the new nuclei is
less than the sum of
the previous nuclei. The energy released can be
ascertained by Einstein’s
famous formula E = mc^2 where energy equals mass times
the speed of light
squared. This energy is referred to as nuclear energy.
In order for the nuclei of two atoms to undergo nuclear fusion they must be sufficiently close together. The couloumb force repulses as the positively charged protons push against one another. However at a critical point of a few femo-meters (10^-15 meters) the strong force comes into effect. The strong force is one hundred times stronger than the coloumb force. Once the nuclei of the two atoms enter the strong force range they fuse together creating a new element. A model of the forces is visualized below.
Nuclear
Fusion is the reason that there are more
than a handful of elements present in the universe. The
elements are created in
stars where the conditions are ideal for such volatile
energy transitions.