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    $\begingroup$ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-empirical_mass_formula is a good start. In particular, the surface term favours larger nuclei (reduces surface area) whilst the Coulomb term favours smaller ones. $\endgroup$
    – jacob1729
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 18:43
  • $\begingroup$ You asked basically the same question a few weeks ago (or somebody else did with very similar phrasing). Start with physics.stackexchange.com/questions/482264/… and go from there. B/E charts are pretty useful, so I'm not sure why you are averse to them. $\endgroup$
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 18:45
  • $\begingroup$ You mention multiple times that fission is due to the Coulomb repulsion making large nuclei energetically unfavourable over multiple smaller ones. Why do you then say that it doesn't explain 'why after ion fission releases energy'? $\endgroup$
    – jacob1729
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 18:47
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks Jacob..I guess I am thinking that fission and fusion have the same mechanism. Is it a true statement that one is due to the nuclear strong force and one is due to Coulombic force? ... I still don't see why fusing two or four nucleons releases energy but fusing two fission fragments together (fission in reverse) requires energy.....Is it two separate components at play? Like does the nuclear force still result in a release of energy during fusion of large particles but the net result due to electrostatic repulsion makes it net negative? $\endgroup$
    – lwadz88
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 19:01
  • $\begingroup$ Jon I couldn't find the one you were talking about, but if someone answered it already that works. $\endgroup$
    – lwadz88
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 19:04