Definition
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy is the form of energy stored in the nucleus of an atom, released when nucleons are rearranged into a more tightly bound configuration. It derives from the binding energy of a nucleus with protons and nucleons, related to the mass deficit by Einstein’s
A reaction that increases the binding energy per nucleon — either fission of heavy nuclei or fusion of light ones — releases the difference as kinetic energy of the products and radiation.