Nuclear Fission Reactor Flashcards
Purpose of the boron control rods
Absorb neutrons if there is too much energy (they are dense)
Purpose of the fuel rods
Contains Uranium 235
Purpose of the graphite moderator
Absorb some of the kinetic energy of the neutrons to slow them down
Purpose of the gas flow in the reactor
To move energy from reactor to heat the generator with a convection current (to power turbines to generate electricity)
What is the generator made of?
A powerful electromagnet and a coil
Movement between the coil and the magnetic field does what?
Movement between the magnetic field and the coil causes the magnetic flux to be cut, which induces a current in the coil. This is electromagnetic induction.
What is a thermal neutron and what happens when Uranium 235 absorbs one?
A thermal neutron is slower than a fast neutron and when absorbed by Uranium 235, it is turned into a very unstable isotope of Uranium (236). The Uranium 236 nucleus undergoes fission and splits into 2 smaller and stable daughter nuclei with 2 or 3 fast neutrons (and energy is released - this energy is shared among the products in the form of kinetic energy.)
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
Describe how Rutherford’s nuclear model of the atom accounts for the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiment;
If J. J Thompson’s plum-pudding model was right (atoms- spheres of positive charge tiny negative electrons), alpha particles would all pass through the gold foil and come out other side.
What actually happened was that some were deflected at different angles and some came straight back, this showed that the positive alpha particles were being repelled by a positive charge and others were going through the space between the charged areas.
Some bounced back so there must be a small positively charged nuclei which repel the passing alpha particles… So Rutherford’s model of the atom:
- most of the mass concentrated at the centre, and most of an atom is empty space
- nucleus small since very few alpha particles were deflected by much
- concentrated mass must be positive to repel the positively charged alpha particles
What factors affect the deflection of alpha particles by a nucleus
The faster an alpha particle’s travelling, the less it will be deflected by nucleus
More positively charged a nucleus (higher atomic number), the more an alpha particle will be deflected
Closer an alpha particle passes to the nucleus, more it will be deflected
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
What does a nuclear reactor do?
It uses the fission process as an energy source to generate electricity.
Describe the results of Geiger and Marsden’s experiments with gold foil and alpha particles
Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden fired alpha particles at thin gold foil. Most of them went straight through, detected on the other side when they hit a zinc sulfide screen and gave off a tiny flash of light (scintillation). (a few went straight through, many were deflected at angles)
but then..very few were deflected straight back.
How can a chain reaction be set up w U-235?
Collision with a neutron, uranium-235 is split, releasing neutrons. These neutrons produced by one fission can strike other U-235 nuclei and do the same thing, causing a chain reaction.
