Page 109 - The Miracle in the Atom

Power Of The Atom

re – without being linked to a nucleus – they are subjected to a decompositi-
on called "beta decay". Because of this disintegration, no neutrons wander
freely in nature. Therefore, neutrons that are to be used in nuclear reactions
must be obtained through artificial methods.
This makes clear that, Allah, the Creator of the entire universe, created
everything with a precise measure. If neutrons had not decomposed in the
free state, the earth would be nothing but an uninhabitable spherical celesti-
al body where endless nuclear reactions took place. Allah created the atom
along with this colossal power within it and keeps this power under control
in a phenomenal way.

Fusion
Nuclear fusion, just the contrary of fission, is the process of bringing to-
gether two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus and using the bonding
energy thus released. However, to achieve this in a controlled fashion is very
difficult. This is because nuclei carry positive electrical charges and repel
each other very strongly if forced to come together. Therefore, a force strong
enough to overcome the repulsive force between them must be used to make
them fuse. This required kinetic energy is equivalent to a temperature of 20-
30 million degrees. 44 This is an extraordinarily high temperature and
although researchers have been trying for years to produce a stable fusion
reaction that produces more power than it consumes, they have not been
successful so far.
Fusion reactions take place in the sun all the time. The heat and light co-
ming from the sun is the result of hydrogen being fused into helium and
energy being released in place of the matter lost during this conversion. Each
second, the sun converts 564 million tons of hydrogen to 560 million tons of
helium. The remaining 4 million tons of matter is converted into energy. This
tremendous event producing the solar energy that is extremely vital for life
on our planet, has continued for millions of years without pause. This may
bring to our minds such a question: If such a great amount of matter as 4 mil-
lion tons is lost in the sun each second, when will the sun be fully consu-
med?

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