Fission vs. Fusion: What’s the Difference?

All of the energy we produce comes from basic chemical and physical processes. That’s mostly been accomplished throughout history by burning carbon-based material like wood, coal and gas—or by harnessing power from the sun, wind, and water. Fission and fusion are two physical processes that produce massive amounts of energy from atoms. They yield millions of times more energy than other sources through nuclear reactions. Fission occurs when a neutron slams into a larger atom, forcing it to excite and spilt into two smaller atoms—also known as fission products. Additional neutrons are also released that can initiate a chain reaction. Fusion occurs when two atoms slam together to form a heavier atom, like when two hydrogen atoms fuse to form one helium atom. This is the same process that powers the sun and creates huge amounts of energy—several times greater than fission. It also doesn’t produce highly radioactive fission products. Nuclear energy is a carbon-fre