The differences between nuclear reactions and chemical reactions are given below.
Difference Between Nuclear Reaction and Chemical Reaction
| S.N. | Nuclear Reaction | Chemical Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Such reactions lead to nuclear transmutation producing a new nucleus, generally accompanied by the emission of particles. | In these reactions, nuclei remain unchanged. The only rearrangement in the outer electronic configuration of the reacting atoms occurs. |
| 2. | Projectiles used for such reactions should be sufficient energy to overcome the potential barrier of the target nucleus. | Chemical reactions occur when the reactants are mixed under proper conditions (Temperature, Pressure, catalyst, etc.) |
| 3. | Nuclear reactions are independent of environmental conditions ( Temperature, Pressure, etc.) | They are influenced by temperature, pressure, catalyst, etc. |
| 4. | Nuclear reactions are irreversible. | Most chemical reactions are reversible. |
| 5. | There occurs mass defect, and this corresponds to the release of a higher amount of energy. | There is no mass defect; however, such reactions are either endothermic or exothermic, corresponding to bond breaking and formation. |
| 6. | A nuclear reaction can be represented by an equation balanced with mass no. and atomic number. 14N7 + 1n0 → 14C7 + 1H1 | A chemical reaction can also be represented by an equation balanced with respect to the number of atoms, e.g. N2 + 3H2 = 2NH3 |
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