Chapter 19 Key Terms Flashcards
Alpha Decay
Radioactive decay of a He nucleus
Beta Decay
Decay of an electron
Chain Reaction
Series of reactions where previous reactions cause new ones
Critical Mass
Amount of an isotope required to produce a self sustaining fission reaction
Cyclotron
Particle accelerator that accelerates a charged particle
Electron Capture
When an electron is assimilated into a nucleus
Gamma Rays
Form of em radiation with shortest wavelength and highest energy
Geiger-Muller Counter
Device which measures radioactivity
Ionizing Power
Ability of radiation to ionize other molecules and atoms
Magic Numbers
Nuclei of weight 2,8,20,28,50,82,126 which are more stable than others
Mass Defect
Difference in mass between the nucleus of an atom and the sum of the particles that make it up
Nuclear Binding Energy
Amount of energy that wold be required to break apart the nucleus into its component nucleons
Nuclear Equation
Equation representing nuclear changes, like radiation
Nuclear Fission
Splitting of nucleus resulting in lots of energy
Nuclear Fusion
Combination of two nuclei to form a heavier one
