Nuclear Energy Vocabulary

Front

What is a photon?

Back

A packet (quantum) of energy with no mass and no electrical charge, but it has momentum.

Front

What is nuclear radiation?

Back

The particles that are released from the nucleus during radioactive decay.

Front

What is a beta particle?

Back

An electron or positron that is emitted from a nucleus during radioactive decay.

Front

What is a positron?

Back

A particle with a +1e charge and a mass the same as an electron; also called the antiparticle of the electron.

Front

What is a gamma ray?

Back

The high-energy photon emitted by a nucleus during fission and radioactive decay.

Front

What is the process of radioactive decay?

Back

The process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.

Front

What are the three main types of nuclear radiation?

Back

Alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays.

Front

What is an alpha particle?

Back

A type of nuclear radiation consisting of two protons and two neutrons, equivalent to a helium nucleus.

Front

What is the significance of half-life in nuclear decay?

Back

Half-life is the time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.

Front

What is fission?

Back

The process of splitting a heavy nucleus into two lighter nuclei, releasing energy.