Why does splitting an atom create energy? And why is it so much energy?
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So there are two forces acting on those protons in the nucleus. There is an electrical force, and since protons and protons have the same charge, this repels them. There’s also a nuclear force which binds them together in the nucleus of an atom. The nuclear force acts over very short distances, so if you put in a bunch of energy, you can push those protons apart, and eventually the distance is long enough that the electrical force wins, and the protons to flying apart.
For small a small atom like helium, there’s only two protons, so the amount of energy of them flying apart is less than the energy it took to separate them. So if you split a helium atom, you would lose energy. For a bit atom like uranium, there are dozens of protons. Once you get them far enough apart, the electrical force takes over and you get more energy than you put in. So if you split a uranium atom, you gain energy.
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