Source of extra energy? (Fusion-Fission)
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From: Bill Bowden on 11 Apr 2010 20:40 If fusion is a process of putting atoms together, and fission is a process of breaking them apart, and both cases produce energy, then it seems somewhat like a perpetual motion machine putting things together and taking them apart while always producing energy. Where does the extra energy come from? What am I missing? -Bill
From: Sam Wormley on 11 Apr 2010 20:48 On 4/11/10 7:40 PM, Bill Bowden wrote: > If fusion is a process of putting atoms together, and fission is a > process of breaking them apart, and both cases produce energy, then it > seems somewhat like a perpetual motion machine putting things together > and taking them apart while always producing energy. Where does the > extra energy come from? > > What am I missing? > > -Bill Fusion involves light elements at extremely high temperatures. Fission involves very heavy element that were originally put together in supernovae explosions.
From: Puppet_Sock on 11 Apr 2010 20:54 On Apr 11, 8:40 pm, Bill Bowden <wrongaddr...(a)att.net> wrote: > If fusion is a process of putting atoms together, and fission is a > process of breaking them apart, and both cases produce energy, then it > seems somewhat like a perpetual motion machine putting things together > and taking them apart while always producing energy. Where does the > extra energy come from? > > What am I missing? You are missing binding energy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binding_energy If you look at the graph on that page, you will see that Fe56 is the max. So, a nucleus to the left gets fused closer to Fe56, and gives off energy. A nucleus to the right gets split, and also moves closer to Fe56, and so gives off energy. Socks
From: Androcles on 11 Apr 2010 21:31 "Bill Bowden" <wrongaddress(a)att.net> wrote in message news:2149aac2-5ed6-4f61-add9-13df873c2bb8(a)w17g2000yqj.googlegroups.com... > If fusion is a process of putting atoms together, and fission is a > process of breaking them apart, and both cases produce energy, then it > seems somewhat like a perpetual motion machine putting things together > and taking them apart while always producing energy. Where does the > extra energy come from? > > What am I missing? > > -Bill That's a very good question, Bill. The thing to notice is that fission and fusion take place at opposite ends of the periodic table, with uranium (atomic weight 238, atomic number 92) splitting into smaller atoms, and hydrogen (atomic weight 1.0079, atomic number 1) combining with itself to form the heavier atom of helium (atomic weight 4.0026, atomic number 2). 4 * 1.0079 (H) = 4.0316, so 4.0316(He) -4.0026 = 0.029 units of atomic mass have radiated, so the sun shines. Atomic weight is the mass, atomic number is the charge, so the charge of 4 protons (H) has lost 2 (He) and two electrons are missing, two neutrons have appeared. In the middle of the table is iron, cobalt, nickel and copper from which you will not get much energy by either fission or fusion, it has reached the bottom. What we do not know is the precise method by which hydrogen ( of which there is plenty) can combine all the way up to the heavier elements, but it is theorised that this takes place in stars which implode/explode as supernovae and compress the lighter elements into the heavy in a final cataclysmic bang, so small chunks like the Earth (with a molten iron core) break off and the heavier elements that go with it have picked up some energy in the final cataclysm. We can never know for certain what goes on inside stars, we can only theorise.
From: Sammy Sams on 11 Apr 2010 22:44
On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:40:31 -0700, Bill Bowden wrote: > > What am I missing? > You are missing an education in elementary science that should be available to any inhabitant of the developed world. Please answer the following questions so that we can elucidate the error: Where did you go to grade school? What high school did you attend, and what subjects formed the curriculum? Maybe a class action lawsuit can be initiated against the local school board. The original posting can be used as evidence of severe malpractice. |