Anna Kingsbury

3C, 4D

Nuclear Fusion
Grade: 5
Materials: 6 student volunteers, 4 balloons, 8 ping pong balls.
Purpose: This activity would be used to demonstrate to 5 th graders the processes
that fuel a star, namely nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium.

Opening:

Prior to this activity, explain to students that the process that make stars shine
is called nuclear fusion. This process occurs in a series of steps that involves
changing 4 hydrogen atoms into 1 helium and many byproducts including very
large amounts of energy.
Explain that this reaction releases energy because the products at the end have
slightly less mass than what the reaction begins with and the lost mass is
converted into energy. This process is laid out in the diagrams above.
Before doing this activity, students should know what a chemical reaction is, as
well as have a basic knowledge on the fact that there are different elements that
are composed of different pieces, and that isotopes are variations on the
element.

Activity:

Get four student volunteers to come to the front of the class. Each student
represents a hydrogen atom. Give each student 2 ping pong balls labeled as a
positron, and neutrino; and one balloon labeled energy. Have each student
stand equally spaced apart in front of a white board, and write hydrogen on
the board above each student.
1. The first step in the reaction is for two hydrogens to combine, forming a
deuterium and releasing a positron and neutrino in the process.
a. Have the four students move to link arms as two sets of two.
b. Then have each student gently toss away their ping pong balls labeled
positron and neutrino.
c. The students are now two deuterium! Write deuterium above each
set of students on the board.

Anna Kingsbury
3C, 4D
2. The second step is for each deuterium to combine with another hydrogen,
releasing energy and becoming an isotope of helium.
a. Have two more students come up to the front of the class and have
each link arms with each group of students.
b. Then have students gently toss away their balloons labeled energy.
c. The two groups of three students now represent two helium isotopes!
Write helium isotope above each group of students on the board.
3. The third step is for the two helium isotopes to combine to form one helium
and two hydrogens.
a. Have the students all come together in the middle of the board.
b. Then have two students break off on each side.
c. There should be one group of four in the middle (the helium) and two
single students on each side (each a hydrogen). Write these labels
above each group of students on the board. Nuclear fusion is
complete!
Closure:

Allow students to ask questions about the process and demonstrate it again
using different sets of volunteers as necessary. Ask students questions about the
process such as: Where in this reaction is the mass lost? How does what we
started with differ from what we ended up with? How much energy do you
think is produced in this?
Draw this process on the board with labels and arrows, enlist the help of the
class in doing so.
Have students draw their own diagram depicting this reaction complete with
labels and arrows.