Nuclear reactions are far more energetic than chemical reactions. (Calculations in the endnotes) Ĭhemical reactions power most processes we are familiar with: digestion of food, converting sugars to energy to power our muscles, burning fuels for cooking or internal combustion engines, etc. Let us take a simple object to illustrate the energies involved. “Where’s the Kaboom?” ― Marvin Martian, Looney Tunes Energy Differences Nuclear reactions involve orders of magnitude more energy than chemical reactions. In physics and chemistry terms, the price associated with location is not money but energy. Generally, a penthouse in a dense city center (e.g., Manhattan, San Francisco, Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, etc.) costs many times the price for a similar living space 20, 50, or even 100 kilometers outside the city. Electron orbitals are the suburbs and satellite communities surrounding the city. The nucleus of the atom is the heart of a metropolis. Think of an atom in terms of real estate. chemical reactions, location matters as well. There is a well-known adage in real estate that “location matters.” In explaining the energy differences involved in nuclear vs. The electrons in the outermost s and p sub-shells are known as valence electrons. Generally, chemical reactions occur in the s and p sub-shells of an atom. Electrons orbiting an atomic nucleus also avoid colliding with each other by being in sub-shells. Airplanes have specific heights and directions assigned to ensure a safe spacing between planes. One way to imagine this is to think of airplanes in landing patterns at a crowded airport. Electrons orbit the nucleus at different distances in energy levels. The maximum number of electrons surrounding the nucleus equals the number of protons in the nucleus. Chemical reactions involve electromagnetic force. As the name implies, nuclear reactions occur in the nucleus of an atom.Ĭhemical reactions take place outside the nucleus in the atom’s electron cloud. Elements above Iron are formed through slow or rapid neutron capture. Synthesis of elements required nuclear reactions: either fusion or fission (decay). All those processes involved either the strong nuclear force or the weak nuclear force. In my first series of blog posts ( Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), we examined the origin of elements. Pull up a chair and sit down to the Periodic Table and Sorting Elements – Part 1: The Difference Between Chemical and Nuclear Reactionsīy Steven Spence Chemical vs.
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