Nuclear fusion is being actively researched as a potential source of clean, high-yield energy to meet future global electricity demands.
Complete the following sentences.
Achieving nuclear fusion on Earth is extremely challenging due to the immense temperatures required to overcome electrostatic repulsion between nuclei.
In a magnetic confinement experimental reactor, a heating system increases the temperature of a 3.5 g sample of deuterium-tritium fuel by 160,000,000 ∘C160,000,000\text{ }^{\circ}\text{C}160,000,000 ∘C.
Calculate the energy required to raise the temperature of this sample by 160,000,000 ∘C160,000,000\text{ }^{\circ}\text{C}160,000,000 ∘C.
Before constructing the world's first commercial fusion power stations, nuclear physicists and engineers designed, built, and tested smaller prototype experimental tokamaks (fusion reactors).
Suggest two reasons why these smaller experimental prototype models were developed and tested first.
Explain one environmental advantage of generating electrical power using nuclear fusion rather than burning coal in a traditional power station.
Practise AQA GCSE Physics Nuclear fission and fusion (physics only) with exam-style questions for Foundation and Higher tier. 10 questions covering Nuclear fission and Nuclear fusion, matched to the AQA GCSE Physics (8463) specification and written in Paper 1 and Paper 2 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.