Nuclear fusion reactions power active stars. One pathway for deuterium-deuterium fusion in stellar environments is described by the following equation:
hydrogen-2+hydrogen-2→hydrogen-3+Y+energy \text{hydrogen-2} + \text{hydrogen-2} \rightarrow \text{hydrogen-3} + Y + \text{energy} hydrogen-2+hydrogen-2→hydrogen-3+Y+energyDetermine the identity of the particle represented by YYY.
During the formation of a star, what fundamental force is responsible for the inward collapse of interstellar gas and dust clouds, heating the core sufficiently to initiate fusion?
State one similarity between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion regarding the mass-energy changes that occur during these reactions.
Describe how the behavior of atomic nuclei differs in a nuclear fission reaction compared to a nuclear fusion reaction.
Many countries utilize nuclear fission as a primary method for commercial electricity generation.
State one advantage and one disadvantage of using nuclear fission power stations instead of fossil fuel (coal or gas) power stations to generate electricity.
39 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Physics Powering Earth. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.