Unit 3.6 - Nuclear energy Flashcards
Binding energy
The energy required to completely separate the nucleus to its constituent nucleons
What can we know about the nucleus of an element from looking at it on the periodic table?
Number of protons and neutrons (top number)
Number of protons (bottom number)
How do we work out the number of neutrons in an element?
Top number - bottom number
How many protons and neutrons are there in a helium nucleus?
2 protons, 2 neutrons
1u
1 atomic mass unit
1 atomic mass unit (1u) definition
A mass equal to 1/12th of the mass of a carbon atom
What is it important NOT to do in this unit and why?
Round up or down since the numbers are so small
Mass defect symbol
Δm
Δm
Mass defect
Mass defect
The difference between the mass of the constituents and the mass of the nucleus - the energy put into the system to break it apart
What’s happened to the mass defect?
Has been turned into energy, usually kinetic
Equation for calculating the binding energy of a nucleus
E = mc^2
What does E = mc^2 allow us to calculate?
The binding energy of the nucleus
m in E = mc^2
Mass defect (u) x conversion to kg
c in E = mc^2
Speed of light
Converting from J to eV
Divide by the charge of an electron
1eV
The energy transferred when an electron travels across a p.d of 1V
Since energy transferred = charge x pd
MeV meaning
Mega electron volts
What’s the shortcut equation for working out binding energy in MeV?
Δm x 931 = E(MeV)
How come we can use a shortcut equation for working out binding energy?
Since there’s so many constants
What does the shortcut equation for binding energy give th answer in?
MeV
Equation for the binding energy per nucleon
Total binding energy/amount of nucleons
Nucleons
Things in the nucleus (protons and neutrons)
Protons and neutrons name
Nucleons