Simple Description

A nuclear reaction that happens in stars when small nucleii (usually hydrogen) are combined to form larger nucleii (i.e. helium)

Further Detail

Nuclear fusion reactions need a temperature of around 10,000,000 degrees centigrade and very high pressure. As such, it is very difficult to achieve nuclear fusion anywhere other than inside a star. The bigger and hotter a star is, the heavier the element it will make. Every nuclear fusion reaction releases a small amount of energy, which is how we get energy from the sun.

Related Words:

• Nuclear fission
• Main sequence

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