Nuclear Fusion Quiz
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5 questions, one answer each
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1. What is nuclear fusion?
- A. The splitting of a large nucleus into two smaller nuclei
- B. The joining of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus
- C. The emission of an alpha particle from a nucleus
- D. The absorption of a neutron by a large nucleus
2. Where does the energy released during fusion come from?
- A. Chemical bonds between atoms
- B. Electron transitions between energy levels
- C. Conversion of some of the nuclei's mass into energy
- D. Friction between colliding nuclei
3. Why must very high temperatures and pressures be used to make fusion happen?
- A. To cool the nuclei down so they move slower
- B. To overcome the electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged nuclei
- C. To increase the number of neutrons available
- D. To prevent the nuclei from becoming radioactive
4. Which of these best describes where nuclear fusion occurs naturally?
- A. In nuclear power station reactors
- B. In the core of stars
- C. In the Earth's outer crust
- D. In particle accelerators only
5. A student claims fission and fusion are the same process because both involve nuclei and release energy. What is the key flaw in this claim?
- A. Neither process actually releases energy
- B. Fission splits large nuclei apart while fusion joins light nuclei together — they are opposite processes
- C. Fusion only happens in reactors, and fission only happens in stars
- D. Fission requires high pressure while fusion does not