Nuclear Physics

Nuclear Physics

Introduction

Ever since nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, scientists have worked to harness nuclear power to generate unlimited energy. But in the years since then, we have discovered problems with nuclear fission and have been unable to control nuclear fusion. In this module we will discover what fusion and fission are and discuss some of the problems with each. In addition, we will learn about different types of radioactive particles and how they behave, especially how the rate of decay can be given as a half-life.

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

What is fission and what are some problems with fission reactors?
What is fusion and what are some problems with creating a working fusion reactor?
How are the three types of radioactive particles different?
How long do radioactive isotopes remain and what can we do about them?

Key Terms

Alpha Particle: A helium nucleus consisting of two protons and two neutrons.
Beta Decay: A high speed electron produced by the decay of a neutron to a proton.
Fission: The splitting of a large nucleus into smaller daughter nuclei.
Fusion: Combining two smaller nuclei to form a large nucleus.
Gamma Ray: The release of a high energy photon from a nucleus due to the energy from other decay processes.
Radiation: The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles, especially high-energy particles that cause ionization.
Radioactive Isotope: A version of an atom with a specific number of neutrons that results in an unstable atom that will undergo radioactive decay.

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION