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IB Physics SL E 5 3 Fusion Conditions Questions

Explain SL fusion conditions, including the temperature, energy and confinement needed to overcome Coulomb repulsion and sustain plasma fusion.

Syllabus
First assessment 2025
Course
Physics SL
Level
SL

Exam points

  • explain why high plasma temperature gives positively charged nuclei enough kinetic energy to overcome Coulomb repulsion
  • relate fusion to bringing nuclei within the short range of the strong nuclear force
  • identify the difficulty of maintaining the high temperature and controlled confinement required for sustained viable fusion

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Study E.5.3—Fusion conditions conceptsOpen the corresponding Concept lesson for explanations, examples and exam connections.

IB Physics SL E 5 3 Fusion Conditions Questions question 1

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Star A is a main sequence star.

The data for Star A and the Sun are given in a table.

Table for Question IB Physics SL E 5 3 Fusion Conditions Questions question 1 — IB Physics SL

Explain why nuclear fusion in the core of the star occurs when the temperature and density exceed threshold values.

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