5 Nuclear Physics Flashcards
What happens to alpha particles shot at atoms (in gold foil)?
- Some pass straight through
- Some deflect at an angle (repelled by positive nucleus)
- Some reflect (hit nucleus)
Explain ions
Explain nuclide notation
- Nucleon/mass number: number of protons + neutrons
- Proton number: number of protons
What are isotopes?
Atoms of the same element that have an equal number of protons but a different number of neutrons (more unstable, more likely to decay)
What is relative charge?
The charge of a particle divided by the charge of a proton (proton: +1, neutron: 0, electron -1)
Define nuclear fission
The splitting of a large, unstable nucleus into two smaller nuclei (as well as 2/3 neutrons and gamma rays)
Define nuclear fusion
When two light nuclei join to form a heavier nucleus (requires extremely high temperatures)
State Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence equation
E=mc(2)
Why might a radiation detector register a reading despite there being no obvious sources of radiation in the laboratory.
Background Radiation
What is ionisation?
