Nuclear Fusion vs Fission: Difference Between Reactions
2minute read• Graham Lumley • Last update April 2024
Share this article
In this article
What’s the difference between fusion and fission?
Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms fuse together, or combine, into a larger atom. This fusion process releases a great amount of energy. Nuclear fission occurs when one atom is ripped apart into smaller atoms. Fission and fusion both release a great deal of energy, but fusion releases about four times more.
FUSION
FISSION
Reaction
Atoms fusing together
Atoms splitting apart
Energy Released
4X more than fission
4X less than fusion
Radioactive Waste
Does not produce
Produces
Electricity Generation
Not used commercially
Used commercially
What causes nuclear fusion?
If you look up into the sky during the day, you can see a huge nuclear reactor that’s powered by nuclear fusion: the sun.
Because the sun is enormous (over 1.3 million Earths can fit inside), it has a lot of gravity. That high level of gravity creates enough pressure to force atoms to slam into each other, forming larger atoms. One example of this is two hydrogen atoms fusing together to form helium.
On Earth, scientists are attempting to recreate nuclear fusion to generate electricity. This would be an advancement in power production technology because all existing nuclear plants are powered by fission. In the last couple years, scientists have made large steps forward in achieving this goal. In December 2022, U.S. Department of Energy scientists were able to produce more energy than they put into a nuclear fusion reactor for just a few seconds. They were successful again in August 2023.
How does nuclear fission occur?
In nuclear power plants around the globe, nuclear fission is induced by throwing neutrons at uranium atoms at high speeds. The impact is so strong it causes the uranium atoms to split, which releases a lot of energy. When the uranium atom splits, more neutrons are released and they continue to collide with other uranium atoms. It’s a chain reaction that repeats itself over and over again.
It’s no secret that global concerns over climate change have escalated in recent years. But what you might not know is that ongoing discussions regarding sustainable energy solutions have led to a reevaluation of nuclear power, with small modular reactors emerging as a viable option. But, precisely what is a…
Texans can save up to $500 per year by switching to BKV Energy.
Explore affordable electricity plans.
Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to give you the best experience possible while visiting our website. By continuing, you agree to our privacy policy and understand our terms of use on our website.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.