Criteria B / difference between nuclear and chemical reactions

Chemical reactions are the result of rearrangement of electrons in the orbits of an atom. Nuclear reactions are generated within the nucleus of an atom. When you burn coal you join an atom of carbon with two atoms of oxygen from the air. What actually happens is that the valence shells of a carbon atom and two oxygen atoms start to share electrons. By rearranging the valence shells you have changed the energy state of the three atoms by making a molecule. The difference in the energy forms are that the energy you get from this chemical reaction are different. Usually one generates only a few electron volts of energy from chemical reactions.

This picture is obviously of a match but also shows us an example of a chemical reaction.

( Lindes, 2009) Nuclear reactions how ever can be described with math in about the same way that chemical reactions reactions can be. We usually express this with different equations, even though there are unique differences in the nature between the reactions. The main difference between them is within the nature that the reaction occurs, or to be specific how the atom is affected / changed. Chemical reactions have everything to do with the electrons when Nuclear reactions have everything to do with the nucleus. (all experts website, 1998)

This picture is again an obvious one but shows us an everyday example of what nuclear power is / can do.

(Doyle, 2000)