Nuclear Physics Flashcards

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1
Q

Nuclide

A

A nuclide is the atomic species with a specific mass number A and proton number Z

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2
Q

Isotope

A

Isotopes are nuclides that have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons

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3
Q

One atomic mass unit (1u)

A

Equal to one-twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom

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4
Q

The mass defect of a nucleus

A

The difference between the total mass of separate nucleons and the combined mass of the nucleus

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5
Q

Nuclear Binding Energy (B.E = mc^2)

A

The energy equivalent of the mass defect of a nucleus, it is (the energy required to separate to infinity all the nucleons of a nucleus) divided by the (number of nucleons in the nucleus)

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6
Q

Binding Energy per Nucleon

A

it is the total energy needed to completely separate all the nucleons in a nucleus to infinity divided by the number of nucleons in the nucleus

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7
Q

Nuclear Fission

A

The splitting of a heavy nucleus into two nuclei of approximately the same mass

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8
Q

Nuclear Fusion

A

Two light nuclei combines to form a nucleus of greater mass

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9
Q

Why are nuclear reactions energetically favourable

A

Recall that the larger the binding energy per nucleon, the more stable the nucleus is, nuclei always tend towards the most stable nuclei, whose mass are around iron-56’s. As such, lighter nuclei undergo nuclear fusion until its mass number reaches 56 and heavier nuclei undergo nuclear fission until its mass reaches 56.

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10
Q

Radioactivity/Radioactive decay

A

The process whereby a radionuclide is transformed into a more stable nuclide by emitting some forms of ionising radiation

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11
Q

Explain why radioactive decay is random and spontaneous

A

Radioactive decay is random as it is impossible to predict which nucleus will decay next as the probability of decay per unit time is constant. This results in fluctuations in the count rate measured by a detector

Radioactive decay is spontaneous because the rate of decay/probability of decay of the nuclei is unaffected by any external factors such as temperature, pressure or chemical composition

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12
Q

Activity of a radioactive source (A)

A

The number of radioactive decays per unit time/rate of radioactive decay in the source

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13
Q

Half-life

A

The time taken for the number of undecayed nuclei to be reduced to half its original number

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