nuclear fission and fusion Flashcards
nuclear fission
the splitting of a large and unstable nucleus
draw a diagram of nuclear fission using Uranium-235, krypton and barium
textbook
describe the process of nuclear fission
-nucleus absorbs neutron
-nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei and emits two or three neutrons and gamma rays
why is spontaneous fission rare?
the nucleus has to absorb a neutron before it splits
what is released by fission?
energy
what type of energy do the fission products have?
kinetic energy
how does a chain reaction occur?
if any of the neutrons released are moving slow enough to be absorbed by another nucleus
what is used to release energy in a nuclear reactor?
controlled chain reaction
what causes the explosion in a nuclear weapon?
uncontrolled chain reaction
how is the amount of energy produced by fission controlled?
by changing how quickly the chain reaction can occur, done using control rods which absorb neutrons to slow down chain reaction
nuclear fusion
the joining of two light nuclei to form a heavier nucleus
what is some mass converted to in nuclear fusion?
energy released as radiation
what is needed for fusion?
high temperature and pressure
what does nuclear fusion release?
tonnes of energy
