Nuclear energy may refer to:
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Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced ...
, the use of sustained
nuclear fission
Nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction, reaction in which the atomic nucleus, nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller atomic nucleus, nuclei. The fission process often produces gamma ray, gamma photons, and releases a very large ...
or
nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles (neutrons or protons). The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifest ...
to generate heat and electricity
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Nuclear binding energy
Nuclear binding energy in experimental physics is the minimum energy that is required to disassemble the nucleus of an atom into its constituent protons and neutrons, known collectively as nucleons. The binding energy for stable nuclei is always ...
, the energy needed to fuse or split a nucleus of an atom
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Nuclear potential energy, the potential energy of the particles inside an atomic nucleus
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''Nuclear Energy'' (sculpture), a bronze sculpture by Henry Moore in the University of Chicago
{{Disambiguation