Gravitation
What is the equation for Newton's Law of Gravitation?
F=Gmm//r2
What is electric charge?
Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. It comes in two types (positive and negative) and is quantized in units of elementary charge e = 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C.
How are absorption spectra related to that of emission?
Absorption spectra show dark lines at exact same wavelengths as bright emission lines.
What is a nucleon?
A nucleon is a particle in the nucleus - either a proton or neutron.
What is an induced Fission reaction?
Nuclear fission triggered by neutron absorption, splitting heavy nucleus into lighter fragments plus neutrons and energy.
What is the equation for gravitational field strength?
g=F/m=GM/r2
What is the difference between a conductor and an insulator?
Conductors have free electrons that can move easily throughout the material (like metals), while insulators have tightly bound electrons that cannot move freely (like rubber, glass).
What is a ground state? What is an excited state?
Ground state is lowest energy level of atom (most stable). Excited state is any energy level above pground state (electron has absorbed energy).
What is an isotope?
Atoms of same element (same proton number) but different neutron numbers, therefore different mass numbers. Same chemical properties, different nuclear properties.
What is nucleosynthesis?
Nucleosynthesis is creation of new nuclei from pre-existing nucleons or nuclei.
All planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one foci of the ellipse.
What is Coulomb's law for electric force?
F = kq₁q₂/r² where k = 1/(4πε₀) = 9 × 10⁹ N·m²/C²
Energy can only exist in specific, fixed values (quanta) rather than any continuous value. Electrons in atoms can only have certain allowed energy levels.
List all the possible decays and their main product
Alpha Decay: Alpha particle, Beta Minus Decay: electron, Beta Plus Decay: Positron, Gamma Decay: Gamma particle
How are reactors self-sustaining?
Chain reaction: each fission produces 2-3 neutrons that can cause more fissions. Critical mass needed for self-sustaining reaction.
What is Kepler's 2nd law?
Planet orbit sweeps out equal areas in equal time intervals. (Planet moves faster when closer to the Sun)
What does each finger represent in the right hand rule?
Thumb-velocity, Index-Field direction (B), and Middle-Force
How do emission spectra prove discrete energy?
Emission spectra show distinct lines at specific wavelengths rather than continuous spectrum. Each line corresponds to specific energy transition between discrete levels: E = hf
How do we know if energy is released in a reaction?
If total mass after reaction < total mass before reaction (positive Q value), energy is released
What is the proton-proton chain?
Fusion process in stars: 4 protons → helium-4 + 2 positrons + 2 neutrinos + energy. Main energy source for Sun-like stars.
What is Kepler's 3rd law? (Should be a relationship)
T2 is proportional to r3
When is magnetic force zero? What are the equations used?
Force is zero when velocity is parallel to field (θ = 0° or 180°). F = qvB sin θ or F = BIL sin θ
What did we learn from the Rutherford experiment?
Atom is mostly empty space with small, dense, positively charged nucleus containing most of mass. Electrons orbit nucleus. Disproved plum pudding model.
What is mass defect? What is binding energy? How are they related?
Mass defect is difference between total mass of separated nucleons and actual nucleus mass. Binding energy is energy needed to separate nucleus into nucleons.
What are the two limits we learned about? What do they do?
Chandrasekhar: maximum mass for white dwarf ~1.4 solar masses. Oppenheimer-Volkoff: maximum mass for neutron star ~3 solar masses.