Fission and Fusion Flashcards
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What has the highest background radiation?
Natural resources (87% of background radiation)
What emits background radiation?
Everything has radiation including plants, food, rocks and you!
What is nuclear fission?
The splitting of a large unstable nucleus using after absorbing a neutron
Why does the large unstable nucleus in fission have to absorb a neutron to release energy?
It’s not a natural process. Nuclear fission rarely happens spontaneously. Absorbing a neutron makes the nucleus unstable, causing fission to occur
What happens during Nuclear fission after absorbing the neutron and beginning the reaction?
The nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei and releases two or three neutrons, gamma rays and energy
All products in fission have kinetic energy. True or false?
True
What is it called when more neutrons are released and cause multiple exponentially increasing reactions to occur?
A chain reaction
What happens during nuclear fusion?
Two light nuclei collide into a heavier nucleus and generate energy via radiation
Why is nuclear fusion difficult to achieve?
-Requires high temperatures
-Has to overcome electrostatic repulsion
-Requires high pressure
Who uses nuclear fission?
Nuclear power stations to generate electricity.
