WHAT IS NUCLEAR FUSION??
Nuclear fusion is the process in which two nuclei of atoms merge to form a new, heavier element. However, the mass that remains after fusing the elements (extra mass) gets converted to energy, in accordance with the equation E=mc^2. However, we don’t know how to harness this energy for ourselves.
HOW DO WE COMPLETE SUCH A PROCESS?
For carrying out nuclear fusion, we have to heat the atoms for the nuclear force to be greater than the electrostatic force holding the atom together (more specifically, the nucleus and the electrons). This forces different atoms to combine [because, under high pressure and temperature, the neutrons released would be accelerated by cyclotrons (particle accelerators) and would bang into other atoms] and form other atoms of different elements (a new neutron is introduced into the atom), which in turn releases a lot of energy (the energy produced is so much that it is a viable candidate for energy production for our civilization, only if we could do it several times). For example- Nuclear fusion occurs when we combine Deuterium and Tritium (used in Hydrogen bombs)
HOW MUCH ENERGY IS RELEASED?
To calculate the amount of energy released, we must calculate the mass defect, which is the change in the mass of the atom. This has to be converted into suitable units of energy [MeV, preferably, which is a million eV’s of energy, which is (an eV) the energy that an electron gets when it undergoes a potential difference of 1 Volt. The potential difference is the amount of energy required to move a charge from one unit to another in an electric field]
Nuclear fusion involves a loss of mass, which is not so in nuclear fission (atom splits). Therefore, it releases more energy ( since E=mc^2, it releases mc^2 more energy for a given atom of an element)
IS NUCLEAR FUSION THE FUTURE?
Nuclear fusion is a clean, renewable form of energy. But, we have recently been able to perform nuclear fusion in a way that it gives us a positive energy output. (unlike before, which involved an overall loss of energy). So, we may be able to reach the level where we can harness the energy produced for ourselves, in a viable manner. But, for now, we have to keep trying to get higher energy outputs.
