A Comparison of Nuclear and Ordinary Chemical Reactions

Although nuclear and ordinary chemical reactions have a few similarities, they differ in some basic properties. 

The symbol above is the international symbol representing the risk of radioactivity in an area or a material. 

Both types of reactions require activation energy to initiate. 

In chemical reactions, there is no change in the structure of nucleus of an atom. However, in nuclear reactions the structure of nucleus is changed that is, there is a change in the number of protons and neutrons. 

The numbers and the types of atoms are conserved in chemical reactions, whereas in nuclear reactions this may not be so. 

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