Nuclear fusion

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nuclear-fusion

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary stellar fusion process?Proton-proton chain reaction in stars like the Sun, converting hydrogen to helium
2. What is the key terrestrial fusion reaction?Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) reaction, yielding helium, a neutron, and significant energy
3. How does the Sun make energy?In the Sun, hydrogen atoms fuse through the proton‑proton chain, turning hydrogen into helium and giving off huge energy.
4. Why do stars need such hot temperatures for fusion?The nuclei are positively charged and repel each other, so they need very high temperatures and pressure to move fast enough to overcome that repulsion.

Plasma: A state of matter consisting of ionized gas where electrons are stripped from atoms, exhibiting unique electrical properties.
Coulomb Repulsion: The electrostatic force of repulsion between two positively charged atomic nuclei.
Nucleosynthesis: The process by which new atomic nuclei are created from pre-existing nucleons (protons and neutrons) and nuclei.