| Unlike chemical reactions, such as burning coal or wood, where the atoms of the substance are rearranged to create different molecules like carbon and oxygen becoming carbon dioxide, fusion is a nuclear reaction. A nuclear reaction is one in which the nucleus of the atom itself undergoes a change, actually becoming a different element entirely! There are two kinds of nuclear reaction, fission and fusion which are discussed in more depth in the following page. |
Chemical Reaction  Courtesy of: http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/sciences/chemistry/inorganicchemistry/chemicslformula/Equation/chemicalequation/FG03_003.GIF |
Nuclear Reaction  Courtesy of: http://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com/nuclear-fission.html |