WorksheetsAssessment Lesson 1: The Nucleus
Total questions: 15
Worksheet time: 8mins
Which of these is the binding energy of a nucleus?
the mass of the nucleus times c^2
the energy needed to remove one of the nucleons
the average energy with which any nucleon is bound in the nucleus
the energy released when nucleons bind together to form a stable nucleus
What is an alpha particle made of?
one proton and one electron
one proton and one neutron
two protons and two electrons
two protons and two neutrons
Which is the minimum amount of nuclide that provides the number of neutrons needed to sustain a chain reaction?
critical mass
control mass
reaction mass
neutrino mass
What do control rods do in a nuclear reactor?
They cool the reactor.
They slow down neutrons.
They absorb some free neutrons.
They protect against radioactivity.
If there are 128 neutrons in the nucleus of Pb-210, how many neutrons are in the nucleus of Pb-206?
122
124
126
130
Of the main types of radiation emitted from naturally radioactive isotopes, which is the most penetrating?
alpha
beta
gamma
positron
When a negatively charged beta particle is emitted by a radioactive nucleus, which of these changes happens in the nucleus?
The number of protons increases by one.
The number of neutrons increases by one.
The number of nucleons increases by one.
The number of nucleons decreases by one.
Which of these processes describes a nuclear fusion reaction?
A heavy nucleus absorbs energy to produce lighter nuclei.
A heavy nucleus splits to produce energy and lighter nuclei.
Two heavy nuclei bind together to produce energy and heavier nuclei.
Two light nuclei bind together to produce energy and a heavier nucleusがお
Which statement is true about nuclear fission?
Fission does not naturally occur on Earth.
Fission increases the mass of each nucleus involved.
Fission is the primary process that produces energy in stars.
Fission produces nuclei that are more stable than the original nuclei.
What is the main difficulty in designing nuclear fusion reactors?
Tritium is found in only small amounts naturally.
Deuterium can be produced only in nuclear fission reactors.
Fusion reactors rely on heavy elements that are too costly to obtain.
The energy required for fusion reactions is more than what fission reactions can sustainably produce.
Elements containing more than 84 protons have unstable nuclei because:
the strong nuclear force cannot sufficiently overcome the repulsive electrostatic force between protons.
they have too many neutrons compared to protons.
they have too few electrons to balance the charge.
their atomic mass is too low.
Fission reactions are much easier to harness than fusion reactions for the commercial production of energy because:
Fission requires less energy to initiate and can be controlled more easily than fusion.
Fusion reactions release less energy than fission reactions.
Fission produces no radioactive waste, while fusion does.
Fusion reactions are already widely used in commercial power plants.
Two neutrons are initially 1×10−10 m apart before being placed at a distance of 1×10−16 m. What happens to the behavior of the neutrons after the change in placement?
They experience a strong nuclear force and attract each other.
They repel each other due to electric charge.
There is no change in their interaction.
They become unstable and decay immediately.
Star A converts twice as much mass into energy per second as Star B. What is the ratio of energy produced by Star A per second compared with Star B?
1:1
2:1
1:2
4:1
Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of fission reactors compared with fusion reactors.
Fission reactors are easier to control but produce more radioactive waste than fusion reactors.
Fission reactors are harder to control and produce less radioactive waste than fusion reactors.
Fission reactors are more expensive to build and produce no radioactive waste compared to fusion reactors.
Fission reactors require higher temperatures to operate than fusion reactors.
