vocab Flashcards
Nuclear decay
Radioactive decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation.
Mass number
The mass number, also called atomic mass number or nucleon number, is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus.
chain reaction
a chemical reaction or other process in which the products themselves promote or spread the reaction, which under certain conditions may accelerate dramatically.
Nuclear reaction
a change in the identity or characteristics of an atomic nucleus that results when it is bombarded with an energetic particle, as in fission, fusion, or radioactive decay.
atomic mass
the mass of an atom of a chemical element expressed in atomic mass units.
isotope
each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties; in particular, a radioactive form of an element.
fusion
the process or result of joining two or more things together to form a single entity.
Radiation
In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium.
Alpha Particle
a helium nucleus emitted by some radioactive substances, originally regarded as a ray.
beta particle
A beta particle, also called beta ray or beta radiation, is a high-energy, high-speed electron or positron emitted by the radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus during the process of beta decay.
fission
the action of dividing or splitting something into two or more parts.
half life
the time taken for the radioactivity of a specified isotope to fall to half its original value.
transmutation
the action of changing or the state of being changed into another form.
