Question

One often hears the statement, "Nuclear energy production is fundamentally different from chemical energy production (such as burning of coal) because the nuclear case involves a change of mass." Critique this statement. Discuss the similarities and differences of the two kinds of energy production.

Short answer

Due to the change in matter's identity, nuclear reactions produce more energy as compared to chemical reactions.

Step-by-step solution

Define Nuclear Energy and Chemical Energy

Nuclear energy is the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. All stuff in the cosmos is made up of atoms, which are tiny particles. At most cases, an atom's mass is concentrated in the nucleus's centre. Neutrons and protons are the two subatomic particles that make up the nucleus.

The energy stored in chemical compounds, bonds, molecules and atoms. It is produced as a by-product of a chemical reaction, which is known as an exothermic reaction. Biomass, batteries, natural gas, petroleum, and coal are examples of chemical energy that has been stored.

Similarities and Differences in these two Energy Production

Nuclear energy is created by nuclear reactions that alter the identity of objects, whereas chemical energy is created by breaking the bonds between molecules, which is then turned to heat. When compared to chemical reactions, the amount of energy produced by nuclear energy is enormous. This large disparity in generated energy is due to the tight links between the nucleus elements.

Nuclear energy is extremely dangerous since it emits a large number of high-energy radiations, whereas chemical reactions emit less harmful radiation.

Thus, nuclear reactions produce more energy than chemical reactions because of the change in the identity of matter. Therefore, due to the change in matter's identity, nuclear reactions produce more energy as compared to chemical reactions.