nuclear decay and half life

Front

What is nuclear fission?

Back

Nuclear fission is a type of reaction in which a heavy nucleus, such as U-235, splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing a significant amount of energy.

Front

What is nuclear fusion?

Back

Nuclear fusion is a type of reaction in which light nuclei combine to form a larger, single nucleus, releasing energy in the process.

Front

What is half-life?

Back

Half-life is the time required for half of the parent isotope in a sample to decay into its daughter isotopes.

Front

What percentage of the parent isotope remains after 2 half-lives?

Back

25% of the parent isotope remains after 2 half-lives.

Front

What type of radiation has a negligible mass and consists of high energy radiation?

Back

Gamma radiation has a negligible mass and consists of high energy radiation.

Front

What is the atomic number of an element?

Back

The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of that element.

Front

How many protons does fluorine have?

Back

Fluorine has 9 protons, as indicated by its atomic number.

Front

What is a chain reaction in nuclear physics?

Back

A chain reaction is a series of reactions where the products of one reaction initiate further reactions, commonly seen in nuclear fission.

Front

What is the difference between alpha, beta, and gamma radiation?

Back

Alpha radiation consists of helium nuclei, beta radiation consists of electrons or positrons, and gamma radiation consists of high-energy photons.

Front

What is the significance of the mass number in an atom?

Back

The mass number is the total number of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus, indicating its isotopic identity.