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Understand fusion at the atomic level—how extreme heat makes atoms overcome repulsion and merge
Part of Build A Star: The Nuclear Fusion Revolution
Educational content slides
Every second, the Sun fuses 620 million tons of hydrogen into helium. This releases energy equivalent to 100 billion nuclear bombs—continuously.
We're trying to recreate this in a room-sized machine on Earth.
If we succeed: 1 cup of fusion fuel = 8 million cups of gasoline in energy terms.
This isn't science fiction. This is the engineering challenge of our generation.
Test your understanding with this quiz.
You're trying to fuse two hydrogen atoms. Why do they keep bouncing apart?
Complete this exercise and get AI-powered feedback.
You're designing a fusion reactor for a Mars colony. Consider the engineering trade-offs between different fusion fuels.
Think about: Temperature requirements, fuel availability, transport costs, technology readiness, and backup plans.
Key insight: The "best" fuel isn't always the cleanest or most abundant—it's the one that fits your constraints.