nuclear physics Flashcards
Nucleon definition
nuclear physics
a proton / neutron in a nucleus
Nucleon / Mass Number definition
nuclear physics
total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus
Proton Number definition
nuclear physics
number of protons in the nucleus
Nucleus definition
nuclear physics
the small massive positively charged core of an atom
Nuclide definition
nuclear physics
a particular type of nucleus with specific number of protons and neutrons
Isotopes definition
nuclear physics
a set of nuclide with the same proton number but different numbers of neutrons
Mass Defect definition
nuclear physics
the difference between the sum of the rest masses of the constituent nucleons of a particuler nucleus and the mass of the nucleus itself
Binding Energy (of a nucleus) definition
nuclear physics
the amount of work needed to separate all its constituent nucleons apart an infinite distance from one another
Characteristics of Radioactive Decay
nuclear physics
- spontaneous
- random
Why is Radioactive Decay spontaneous?
nuclear physics
- the decay is not triggered by exernal factors
- unaffected by physical conditions
Why is Radioactive Decay random?
nuclear physics
- it is impossible to predict which nucleus in the sample will decay next / the time of occurence of the next radioactive decay
- however, the fraction of nuclei from the sample which will decay after a certain length of time can be determined
Background Radiation definition
nuclear physics
the ionising radiation emitted from a variety of natural and artificial radiation sources
Activity definition
nuclear physics
rate of nuclear disintegration
Decay Constant definition
nuclear physics
the probability of decay of a nucleus per unit time
Half-Life definition
nuclear physics
the time taken for (a quantity) to reduce to half its initial value
**the quantity differs depending on the context of the question
