Question

select the correct answer. which statement about nuclear fusion is correct? a. two hydrogen electrons become protons during fusion. b. helium nuclei can fuse to form elements such as nitrogen. c. the fusion reaction lasts for several hundred years. d. large nuclei break apart to form smaller nuclei.

Explanation:

• Option A: In nuclear fusion, hydrogen nuclei (protons) fuse, not electrons becoming protons.
• Option B: Helium nuclei can fuse further to form heavier - elements like carbon and oxygen, not nitrogen directly from helium fusion in a simple step.
• Option C: Fusion reactions in stars, like in the Sun, can last for several hundred million years.
• Option D: Large nuclei break apart in nuclear fission, not fusion.

Answer:

C. The fusion reaction lasts for several hundred years.