Explain why nuclear fission and nuclear fusion release large amounts of energy.

Both fission and fusion are nuclear reactions that produce energy, but the applications are not the same. Fission is the splitting of a heavy, unstable nucleus into two lighter nuclei, and fusion is the process where two light nuclei combine together releasing vast amounts of energy.

(On edge) Sample Response: In nuclear fission, the mass of the original nucleus is greater than the mass of the products. The extra mass is converted to energy. In nuclear fusion, the total binding energy of the lighter nuclei is greater than the binding energy of the heavier nucleus. Extra energy is released during the reaction.