Science project on the Sun. I have found that in

Brooklynn Hubbard

Brooklynn Hubbard

Answered question

2022-05-17

Science project on the Sun. I have found that in order for nuclear fusion to work, it needs both helium 3 and 4.
1. Why can't nuclear fusion be done with just helium 4?
2. How can we create nuclear fusion on Earth?
3. Can we even do so?

Answer & Explanation

Kendal Perez

Kendal Perez

Beginner2022-05-18Added 9 answers

"Why can't nuclear fusion be done with just helium 4?"
Helium-4 is the product of fusion, where protons are the fuel. The helium-3 is produced as an intermediate step.
As an analogy, think of wood in a fire: the wood turns to charcoal, then to ash. You can douse the fire and pull the charcoal out to burn later, but you can't burn the ashes any more.
"How can we create nuclear fusion on Earth? Can we even do so?"
To create nuclear fusion on Earth we need to push nuclei close together with enough energy that they overcome the electrical repulsion between them. It's actually not hard to do and happens all the time in research laboratories. What is hard is producing a sustained nuclear fusion reaction where you get more energy out than you put in.

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