I heard recently a large hurdle to figuring out fusion energy was overcome and while there are still other challenges to face it’s possible that we could one day see fusion reactors.
How is energy released through both fusion and fission? Would it be theoretically possible to split heavier elements into lighter ones and then fuse them back into heavier ones to be split once more?
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So, the answer is that every element secretly “wants” to be Nickel-62.
Heavier elements are more unstable, and lighter elements are more unstable.
This means you can take *most* elements that are lighter than Nickel-62 and get energy out by getting them closer to Nickel, i.e. by smashing them together so they get heavier – fusion.
Similarly, if you take a heavier element, you can get rid of some of its mass and get energy out by getting it closer to Nickel – this is fission.
Sadly, this means no infinite energy loop. If you try to fuse elements to *beyond* Nickel-62, you don’t get energy out. Similarly, if you try to divide atoms smaller than Nickel-62, it takes extra energy. The maximum energy you can get out from an element through fusion and fission is the difference between the element’s energy and Nickel-62’s energy.
**Edit:** *Lots of good discussion in the comments about whether Nickel-62 or Iron-56 is more stable. Definitely read through them and Google stuff if you’re interested.*
*For now, suffice it to say that the general idea of my ELI5 is right, and Nickel-62/Iron-56 difference is small enough that for most practical purposes you can ignore the difference entirely.*
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