14.3 Fission Flashcards
What is nuclear fission?
Splitting up nuclei into smaller nuclei while releasing energy
When does nuclear fission happen?
Usually when isotopes are unstable, when nuclei decay
What is this process said to be?
Random and spontaneous
Why is energy released in this process?
As the new nuclei (child) are smaller and have a greater binding energy per nucleon
What is a thermal neutron?
neutron of very low energy
Larger nucleus means more likelihood of what?
undergoing nuclear fission
Why do we need thermal neutrons in nuclear fission?
As fast moving neutrons would pass straight through nucleus without interacting with it to split it. Slow ones are more likely to interact.
What is the process of nuclear fission?
A neutron is made to interact with nuclei (e.g. uranium) causing it to decay and split into smaller elements
Does fission produce more energy then e.g. coal, gas or oil
yes
What can we do to produce a lot more energy using fission.
Set up a chain reaction
Do we use fission in real life?
Yes to get energy
What is a typical fission process?
Of uranium
U + neutron = Ba + Kr + 3neutrons
Where do we use fission in real life?
nuclear power plants
