PS Unit 7 Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions

attractive force that acts between protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus

• strong force

• long-range force

• critical mass

• gamma ray

process occurs when a nucleus decays and emits alpha, beta, or gamma radiation

• radioactivity

• transmutation

• chain reaction

• nuclear fusion

a force that acts on an object without touching it

• long-range force

• strong force

• nucleus

• transmutation

particle consisting of two protons and two neutrons that is emitted from a decaying atomic nucleus

• alpha particle

• beta particle

• gamma ray

• half-life

process of changing one element to another through radioactive decay

• transmutation

• radioactivity

• nuclear fission

• nuclear fusion

electron that is emitted from a decaying atomic nucleus

• beta particle

• alpha particle

• gamma ray

• critical mass

electromagnetic wave with no mass and no charge that travels at the speed of light and is usually emitted with alpha or beta particles from a decaying atomic nucleus

• gamma ray

• alpha particle

• beta particle

• strong force

amount of time it takes for half the nuclei in a sample of a radioactive isotope to decay

• half-life

• chain reaction

• critical mass

• radioactivity

process of splitting an atomic nucleus into two or more nuclei with smaller masses

• nuclear fission

• nuclear fusion

• radioactivity

• chain reaction

ongoing series of fission reactions

• chain reaction

• critical mass

• radioactivity

• transmutation