B use the correct answer from the box to complete the

(b) Use the correct answer from the box to complete the sentence.
fission force fusion
The process of joining two atomic nuclei to form a different nucleus is called
nuclear _________________________ .
(1)
(c) What is released during this process?
Draw a ring around the correct answer.
charge energy force
(1)
(Total 3 marks)
Page 13 of 22

Q8.
Many countries use nuclear power stations to generate electricity.
Nuclear power stations use the process of nuclear fission to release energy.
(a) (i) What is nuclear fission?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(ii) Plutonium-239 is one substance used as a fuel in a nuclear reactor. For
nuclear fission to happen, the nucleus must absorb a particle.
What type of particle must be absorbed?
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(b) Nuclear fusion also releases energy.
Nuclear fusion happens at very high temperatures. A high temperature is needed to
overcome the repulsion force between the nuclei.
(i) Why is there a repulsion force between the nuclei of atoms?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(ii) Where does nuclear fusion happen naturally?
______________________________________________________________
(1)
(c) In 1991, scientists produced the first controlled release of energy from an
experimental nuclear fusion reactor. This was achieved by fusing the hydrogen
isotopes, deuterium and tritium.
Deuterium is naturally occurring and can easily be extracted from seawater. Tritium
can be produced from lithium. Lithium is also found in seawater.
The table gives the energy released from 1 kg of fusion fuel and from 1 kg of fission
fuel.
Type of fuel
Energy released from
1 kg of fuel in joules
Fusion fuel 3.4 × 10
14
Fission fuel 8.8 × 10
13
(i) Suggest two advantages of the fuel used in a fusion reactor compared with
plutonium and the other substances used as fuel in a fission reactor.
1. ____________________________________________________________
Page 14 of 22

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(2)
(ii) Some scientists think that by the year 2050 a nuclear fusion power station
capable of generating electricity on a large scale will have been developed.
Suggest one important consequence of developing nuclear fusion power
stations to generate electricity.