Nuclear Energy Vocabulary

Front

What is the disintegration of an unstable atomic nucleus into one or more different nuclides called?

Back

Radioactive decay.

Front

What is the minimum mass of a fissionable isotope that provides the number of neutrons needed to sustain a chain reaction?

Back

Critical mass.

Front

What is a continuous series of nuclear fission reactions known as?

Back

Nuclear chain reaction.

Front

What is a packet (quantum) of energy with no mass and no electrical charge, but it has momentum?

Back

Photon.

Front

What are the particles that are released from the nucleus during radioactive decay?

Back

Nuclear radiation.

Front

What is the process called when a nucleus splits into smaller parts, releasing energy?

Back

Nuclear fission.

Front

What is the term for the energy released during nuclear fusion?

Back

Nuclear fusion energy.

Front

What is the term for the type of radiation that consists of high-energy electromagnetic waves?

Back

Gamma radiation.

Front

What is the term for the time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay?

Back

Half-life.

Front

What is the name of the device used to detect and measure ionizing radiation?

Back

Geiger counter.