Physics
In a breakthrough experiment, fusion gave off more energy than it used
The sun creates energy through nuclear fusion. Now scientists have too. This achievement raises hopes for developing a new type of clean energy.
HS-PS1-8
Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.
More Stories in HS-PS1-8
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PhysicsExplainer: Radioactive dating helps solve mysteries
Knowing the decay rate of radioactive elements can help date ancient fossils and other artifacts.
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PhysicsScientists Say: Neutron
Neutrons are one of the main building blocks of atoms and have no electric charge.
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EarthNot one, but two asteroids might have ended the age of dinosaurs
A craterlike structure found off the coast of West Africa might have been formed by an asteroid that struck around the time dinosaurs went extinct.
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FossilsGreat white sharks may be partly to blame for the end of megalodons
Zinc levels in shark teeth hint that megalodons and great whites competed for food — and great whites won.
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PhysicsScientists Say: Proton
These positively charged particles are important building blocks in atoms.
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EarthTiny gemstones show when Earth’s crust first started moving
Chemical hints observed in zircons suggest when the important process of plate tectonics first took off.
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EcosystemsScientists Say: Decay
This word can refer to rotting flesh or the transformation of radioactive atoms.
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AnimalsTiny animals survive 24,000 years in suspended animation
Tiny bdelloid rotifers awake from a 24,000-year slumber when freed from the Arctic permafrost.
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PhysicsNuclear clocks are nearly here
More precise clocks could improve technologies such as GPS and help scientists test major ideas in science.