A nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy is called?

A nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy is called?

• A. Chain reaction
• B. Nuclear Fission
• C. Nuclear Fusion
• D. Mass defect

Answer: (B)

A heavy nucleus splitting into two lighter nuclei with energy release is nuclear fission. This happens because the fragments have a higher binding energy per nucleon overall than the original nucleus, so the energy difference shows up as released energy. In terms of mass, the products weigh a little less than the original nucleus—the mass defect—and that lost mass becomes energy via E = mc^2. Fusion, by contrast, combines light nuclei into a heavier nucleus, not splits a heavy one. A chain reaction is a sequence where one fission event triggers others, but the description here refers to the single fission event itself.

A heavy nucleus splitting into two lighter nuclei with energy release is nuclear fission. This happens because the fragments have a higher binding energy per nucleon overall than the original nucleus, so the energy difference shows up as released energy. In terms of mass, the products weigh a little less than the original nucleus—the mass defect—and that lost mass becomes energy via E = mc^2. Fusion, by contrast, combines light nuclei into a heavier nucleus, not splits a heavy one. A chain reaction is a sequence where one fission event triggers others, but the description here refers to the single fission event itself.