Question

41 nuclear equations describe the nuclei that are involved before and after the reaction. in one to two sentences, explain how you would identify the reaction as fusion, and give two different criteria. the students reasoning. the student is wrong because in beta minus decay, the atomic number increases by 1 as a neutron turns into a proton, not decreases.

Explanation:

In nuclear fusion, two or more light - nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. One criterion is that the total number of protons and neutrons (nucleons) is conserved before and after the reaction. Another is that the resulting nucleus has a higher binding energy per nucleon compared to the initial nuclei. For identifying a reaction as fusion, if there are multiple lighter nuclei coming together to form a single heavier nucleus, it is likely a fusion reaction. In beta - minus decay, a neutron turns into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino, and the atomic number increases by 1 while the mass number remains the same.

Answer:

To identify a fusion reaction: 1. Check for multiple lighter nuclei combining into one heavier nucleus. 2. Look for an increase in binding energy per nucleon of the resulting nucleus. In beta - minus decay, the atomic number increases by 1 as a neutron turns into a proton, not a decrease as the student thought.