Chapter 5 Flashcards by michael pecoraro

Recent reports discussing the population bomb

a. verify that the population will expand above 20 billion
b. indicate that the explosion is slowing
c. show that it doesn’t matter since food supply grows equally fast
d. show that the population of the world is now decreasing

b. indicate that the explosion is slowing

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A one-kiloton nuclear weapon, exploded at ground level, would destroy

a. about 1 square kilometer of the city
b. most of a small city (e.g., San Francisco)
c. most of a large city ( e.g., New York City)
d. many cities, if they were within 100 miles of each other

a. about 1 square kilometer of the city

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For an atomic bomb, the number of doubling’s required is closet to

a. 10^23
b. 235
c. 80
d. 16

c. 80

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An implosion type bomb is required for

a. a u-235 bomb
b. a Pu-239 bomb
c. a thermonuclear bomb
d. a boosted fission weapon

b. a Pu-239 bomb

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Moore’s law relates to

a. urban legends
b. computer viruses
c. biological viruses
d. computer chip capability

d. computer chip capability

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Which of the following does not represent exponential growth?

a. a computer virus
b. spread of smallpox
c. epidemic of flu
d. illness from anthrax

d. illness from anthrax

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The statement that the Chernobyl accident will kill 24,000 people is based on

a. measurements of leukemia and thyroid cancer near Chernobyl
b. the linear hypothesis
c. the concept of a chain reaction
d. the fact that radioactivity is contagious

b. the linear hypothesis

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A moderator is something that

a. slows neutrons
b. slows fission fragments
c. fission’s more easily than U-235
d. speeds up the chain reaction

a. slows neutrons

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The dangerous radioactivity in fallout comes from

a. neutrons
b. neutrinos
c. gamma rays
d. fission fragments

d. fission fragments

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Fallout is much worse if the bomb

a. is exploded near the ground
b. is exploded at high altitude
c. undergoes fewer generations
d. contains no fissile material

a. is exploded near the ground

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A nuclear reactor cannot explode like a nuclear bomb because

a. it contains too much uranium
b. it contains no uranium
c. the nuclear reactor depends on slow neutrons
d. it is carefully designed to shut down quickly

c. the nuclear reactor depends on slow neutrons

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According to the text, the least bad place to put nuclear waste is

a. in the sun
b. all the way into outer space
c. in our food
d. underground

d. underground

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A breeder reactor is designed to produce

a. U-235
b. tritium
c. U-238
d. plutonium

d. plutonium

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The number of nuclear weapons that the United States had was closet to

a. one million
b. ten thousand
c. one thousand
d. several hundred

b. ten thousand

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PCR has been used to (choose all that are appropriate):

A. identify children of Thomas Jefferson

b. check the guilt of convicted murders
c. identify victims of 9/11
d. Identify the fathers of children

A. identify children of Thomas Jefferson

b. check the guilt of convicted murders
c. identify victims of 9/11
d. Identify the fathers of children

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The Hiroshima bomb used

a. a gun design
b. thermonuclear fusion
c. implosion
d. boosted fission

a. a gun design

If the water moderator is lost from a nuclear reactor,

a. the reactor will explode like an atomic bomb
b. radiation from fission fragments will continue to produce heat
c. all of the power of the reactor will immediately go to zero
d. the chain reaction will increase, causing a re-activity accident

b. radiation from fission fragments will continue to produce heat

The material that might be “reprocessed” from nuclear waste is

a. tritium
b. U-238
c. U-235
d. Pu-239

d. Pu-239

Which of the following is not a good example of the doubling law?

a. lightning
b. avalanche
c. nuclear chain reaction
d. future population growth

d. future population growth

The Canadian Candu reactors use

a. light water
b. deuterium
c. thermonuclear fusion
d. tritium

b. deuterium

Plutonium can explode with fewer generations that can uranium because

a. plutonium fission release more neutrons
b. plutonium fission release more energy
c. plutonium does not require a moderator
d. plutonium turns into uranium

a. plutonium fission release more neutrons

In a nuclear power plant, the material that runs through the turbine is

a. fission fragments
b. electrons
c. neutrons
d. steam

d. steam

The number of deaths from the Nagasaki bomb is estimated to be

a, 100 to 500

b. 50,000 to 150,000
c. 2 to 3 million
d. 12 million

b. 50,000 to 150,000

The smallest container that could contain one critical mass of plutonium is

a. a tablespoon
b. a coffee mug
c. a large suitcase
d. the trunk of an automobile

b. a coffee mug

The bomb dropped on Hiroshima used as its fuel a. uranium b. plutonium c. hydrogen d. deuterium and lithium-6

a. uranium

Saddam Hussein planned to enrich uranium using a. Calutrons b. centrifuges c. lasers d. gaseous diffusion

a. Calutrons

A centrifuge enrichment plant takes an area of about a. one living room b. one large classroom c. one large building d. about on square mile

b. one large classroom

PCR involves a. tritium b. carbon-14 (radiocarbon c. heavy water d. DNA

d. DNA

One of the most dangerous radioactive materials from fallout is a. U-235 b. Pu-239 c. Sr-90 d. deuterium

c. Sr-90

The term China syndrome refers to a. the accident at Chernobyl b. meltdown of the nuclear fuel c. production of plutonium in China d. nuclear terrorism

b. meltdown of the nuclear fuel

Depleted uranium is a useful substance because a. it is radioactive b. an artillery shell made from it is very penetrating c. it is poisonous (but not very radioactive) d. it can be converted to U-235

b. an artillery shell made from it is very penetrating

PCR was used to learn about a. the critical mass of uranium b. descendants of Sally Hemmings c. the security of Yucca Mountain d. locations of oil underground

b. descendants of Sally Hemmings

Another name for the H-bomb is a. dirty bomb b. stealth bomb c. fission bomb d. thermonuclear bomb

d. thermonuclear bomb

A nuclear explosion similar to the one produced by North Korea would destroy an area of about a. the size of a college campus b. the size of a medium-size town c. the size of a major city d. the size of a small state (e.g. Massachusetts)

a. the size of a college campus

Cold fusion a. despite claims, has never been observed b. has been seen in laboratory experiments c. is the key mechanism used in the Tokamak d. is used by Livermore in the NIF (National Ignition Facility) project

b. has been seen in laboratory experiments

At Three mile island ( Choose all correct) a. there was a reactivity accident ( runaway chain reaction) b. over 200 people are expected to die from the released fission fragments c. some of the uranium fuel melted d. despite newspaper reports, no radioactivity was released

c. some of the uranium fuel melted

What distinguishes a breeder reactor from other reactors is that a. it uses slow neutrons b. it cannot melt down c. it uses hydrogen as its fuel d. it makes more fuel than it uses

d. it makes more fuel than it uses

Jupiter is not a star because a. it isn't made of hydrogen b. it isn't massive enough c. it is too far from the Sun d. it isn't made of helium

b. it isn't massive enough