Nuclear fission and fusion are two paths to clean energy. Fission reactors, which split heavy nuclei to produce energy, have been providing electricity around the world since the 1950s, while fusion reactors, which fuse light nuclei to release energy, are still in the experimental stage. Will fusion machines be practical for producing electricity?
The first law of thermodynamics is known as the conservation of energy. It states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. So we can never get out more than is contained in the fuel we put in. This law raises serious questions about nuclear fusion: Do light elements release more energy than they use for fusion, and where does fusion energy come from?
Nuclear fission machines can produce more energy than they consume because the fission energy of heavy elements like uranium comes from supernovas. As explained by thermonuclear astrophysics, elements heavier than iron are created by the absorption of nuclear energy inside a very large star when it goes supernova.
Could the fusion energy of light elements come from the Big Bang? Since there is a better explanation than the Big Bang theory for what we observe in the cosmos today, this theory is most likely a fictional story.
Before investing in fusion reactors, it is important to know whether light elements release more energy than they consume for fusion, or where the fusion energy comes from.
