Fusion And Fission Flashcards
What does the heavier nucleus mean for the nuclear potential energy?
The more energy is liberated per nucleon
What can fissile isotopes do?
Maintain a nuclear chain reaction
What are fissionable isotopes?
Isotopes that are made to undergo fission
What are the two most important isotopes?
Uranium 235 and Plutonium 239
What is a thermal neutron?
A neutron moving at the same speed as air particles at room temp.
What does the addition of a neutron do to uranium or plutonium?
Makes the nuclei unstable and therefore, split.
What energy contributes is released from the neutrons in a nuclear fission reaction?
Their kinetic energy after the nucleus has split
What do the fragments from the split nuclei form?
Radioactive waste
What happens if more than one neutron is produced from the fission?
The nuclear chain reaction will run out of control, resulting in a nuclear explosion.
In nuclear power stations what is used to “control” the chain reaction?
Control rods which soak up excess neutrons
Why could a nuclear power station not have a nuclear explosion?
As only a small amount of the uranium is fissile
For every isotope there is an energy called a ….
Binding energy
What does the binding energy do?
Holds the nucleus of the isotope together
What is a nucleon?
A proton OR neutron
The higher the binding energy per nucleon…
The more stable the nucleus becomes.
