>>10860761From what I understand, differences in binding energy per nucleon (protons and neutrons) is the cause behind nuclear fusion and fission releasing energy.
The strong nuclear force holds nucleons together, and when two nuclei fuse together, some the strong nuclear force spills over between them to create the "binding energy." The rest is emitted as energy. As long as the daughter nuclei have higher binding energy than the parent, nuclear fusion is possible. Iron-56 has the highest possible binding energy per nucleon so therefore cannot be fused into heavier elements.
Nuclear fission only occurs in heavier elements, such as uranium. This is because the abundance of protons causes charge-charge repulsion and starts to overcome the attractive strong force, leaving lower binding energy per nucleon. This leaves the nucleus open to splitting apart to increase its binding energy, which releases energy in the process.
So no, energy conservation is not violated. If i'm inaccurate somewhere others are free to correct me.
