Nuclear Test Review Slides

Nuclear Reactions: Reactions that affect the nucleus of the atom.
Examples: Fusion, Fission, Alpha Decay, Beta Decay, Positron Decay, Gamma Decay

Chemical Reaction: Reactions involving the electrons of atoms. These do not affect the nucleus!
Examples: Ionic Bonding, Covalent Bonding

• ​Alpha Decay: The parent nucleus releases 2 protons and 2 neutrons (alpha particle)

• Beta Decay: A neutron turns into a proton, releasing an electron (beta particle)

Nuclear Decay: Reactions which release radiation

• Gamma Decay:

  An excited nucleus releases energy (gamma ray)

• Positron Decay: A proton turns into a neutron, releasing a positive charge (positron)

Match

Match the following diagrams to the appropriate type of nuclear decay:

Alpha Decay

Beta Decay

Gamma Decay

Positron Decay

• Alpha Decay

• Beta Decay

• Gamma Decay

• Positron Decay

Half-life is a measure of how long it takes for a material to decay by half. For carbon-14, it takes about 5700 years for half the sample to decay.

Half-Life

Math Response

Scientists aim to predict how much Carbon-14 will remain in a small sample after a set period of time. Currently, they have 1.0 gram of Carbon-14 (N₀). The known half-life of Carbon-14 is 5700 years (t½).

Using the half-life equation, predict how many grams of Carbon-14 will remain after 8000 years of decay N(t).

(Round to 2 significant digits)

Type answer here

Correct Answer: 0.38

Deg^°

Rad

• Two light nuclei fuse to form a single large nucleus.

• Releases more energy than both fission and chemical reactions.

• Electromagnetic forces cause nuclei to repel, making fusion difficult on earth.

• The gravitational force of the sun pushes nuclei close enough together to lock together and fuse

Fusion

• A free neutron collides with an unstable heavy nucleus, splitting it into two lighter nuclei and free neutrons.

• Fission tends to occur in chain reactions, meaning that one fission reaction tends to trigger another.

• Releases more energy than chemical reactions, but less than fusion reactions.

Fission

Reorder

Organize the following reaction types from lowest to highest energy (left to right)

• Chemical Reactions

• Fission Reactions

• Fusion Reactions

1

2

3

• 1
• 2
• 3