The sun is an unlimited power source, so why not have such an unlimited power source here on Earth?
According to scientists, the sun shines because of Fusion power. In a nutshell, fusion power is a thermonuclear process…meaning that the content in the process has to be really hot. They need to be hot enough to strip off their atoms from electrons, making a plasma where the nuclei and electrons can bounce around freely. Since the Nuclei are positively charged, they will repel each other. Now in order to overcome this repulsion, the particles have to be going very very fast (in this context going fast means very hot) this heat is what generates power.
Like this, the Sun uses light atoms like Hydrogen and Helium. These stars are so massive that the pressure in them is what generates the heat to pressurize the nuclei together. But we can’t create a fusion reactor (the proposed idea of a mini sun) by the sun’s method.
If we are able to create a proper full proof fusion reactor (other than experiments like the inertial confinement fusion or magnetic confinement fusion, which will take way too long to explain) we will be able to generate the same amount of energy from a glass of seawater as we do from a barrel of oil. Hydrogen being a light element is present in large quantities in seawater. But the problem arises with the 2nd element needed…Helium. The process can only work with specific isotopes of Helium.
Let's skip the part where we explain the combinations of helium needed because again its way too long and complicated. So fast forward to the fact that scientists have found out that we can use the helium present on the moon for these reactions. Another reason to go to the moon right??
So if the experiments are a success, we have a permanent solution to unlimited power like the sun. But for now, these experiments themselves are very expensive.
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