Fission
Large nucleus splits
What is fission?
two light elements join together
What is fusion?
strong force
What force holds the nucleus together?
The time it takes for half the amount of a radioactive element to decay
the atmosphere
Where is carbon-14 formed?
Where does fission naturally occur?
much more energy is produced by fusion
Does fusion produce more or less energy than fission?
electrical force
What force acts to pull the atom apart?
5 grams
If 10 grams of c-14 are discovered, after 1 half life how much will remain?
biotic, something that was once alive, organic material
What type of material must be in the sample in order to use C-14 dating?
generate electricity
nuclear weapons
Name two ways fission is currently used.
The sun
Where does fusion occur naturally?
The strong force is weakened and the electrical force overpowers
What causes a large nucleus to break apart?
12.5%
After 3 half-lives, what percentage of the radioactive element remains?
protons and neutrons
Which sub-atomic particles does the strong force act between?
meltdown of the reactor and radioactive waste
What is the drawback to nuclear fission?
heat and gamma radiation
What is released during fusion?
protons and electrons
what sub atomic particles have the same magnitude of charge?
Vanadium-53
What is the new element after Mn-57 goes through alpha decay?
protons and electrons
Which sub atomic particles does the electrical force act between?
A chain reaction is triggered by hitting U-235 with a neutron. This breaks U-235 into 2 new elements Kr and Ba and 3 neutrons.
Explain how fission occurs in a power plant
Two light atoms such as hydrogen join together, a lot of energy is released
Explain in detail how fusion works
alpha, beta, gamma
gamma most, beta, alpha least
alpha - 2 protons & 2 neutrons
beta - 1 electron (neutron turns into proton)
gamma- energy
Polonium-209
What element does Bismuth-209 become after beta decay? Give the element name and mass
The strong force is stronger only at shorter distances. As the nucleus of the atom gets large, the strong force weakens. At this point the electrical force (the repulsion between the positive protons) cause the atom to break apart.