Fusion probability is greatly enhanced when appropriate nuclei are brought close together, but mutual Coulomb repulsion must be overcome. This can be done using the kinetic energy of high- temperature gas ions or by accelerating the nuclei toward one another.

(a) Calculate the potential energy of two singly charged nuclei separated by 1.00 x 10^-12 m by finding the voltage of one at that distance and multiplying by the charge of the other.

(b) At what temperature will atoms of a gas have an average kinetic energy equal to this needed electrical potential energy?