Question

1. what happens to nuclei during fusion?

they remain the same and release energy.
they split into lighter nuclei.
they decay.
they combine to form heavier nuclei.

Explanation:

Nuclear fusion is a process where two or more atomic nuclei combine to form one or more different atomic nuclei and sub - atomic particles (neutrons or protons). The key concept here is the combination of nuclei.

• The first option “They remain the same and release energy” is incorrect because in fusion, nuclei do not remain the same.
• The second option “They split into lighter nuclei” describes nuclear fission, not fusion.
• The third option “They decay” is related to radioactive decay processes like alpha, beta, or gamma decay, not fusion.
• The fourth option “They combine to form heavier nuclei” correctly describes what happens to nuclei during fusion.

Answer:

They combine to form heavier nuclei.