Mass is a property of matter, they’re not the same thing.
A water molecule is the same matter as two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen, yet the molecule has less mass. The difference comes from the energy released when the molecule is formed. Fusion is the same, forcing two atoms together releases a neutron with lots of energy. Same matter, less mass.
It’s the opposite with fission. One atom splits into two and two really fast neutrons, and the total mass is less than the original atom. The matter isn’t destroyed, but some of its mass is converted into energy.
Matter can be destroyed by annihilating it with antimatter, but that hardly counts because we have to make the antimatter by turning energy back into mass and that also creates an equal amount of matter.
You’re on the right track.
Mass is a property of matter, they’re not the same thing.
A water molecule is the same matter as two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen, yet the molecule has less mass. The difference comes from the energy released when the molecule is formed. Fusion is the same, forcing two atoms together releases a neutron with lots of energy. Same matter, less mass.
It’s the opposite with fission. One atom splits into two and two really fast neutrons, and the total mass is less than the original atom. The matter isn’t destroyed, but some of its mass is converted into energy.
Matter can be destroyed by annihilating it with antimatter, but that hardly counts because we have to make the antimatter by turning energy back into mass and that also creates an equal amount of matter.