P2.6 (Nuclear Fission + Fusion) Flashcards
What can the main sequence star become depending on it’s size?
A red giant (if it is the same size as the sun)
A super red giant (if it is bigger than the sun)
What process fuses two nuclei together to form a larger one?
NUCLEAR FUSION
What process splits a nucleus into two smaller ones?
NUCLEAR FISSION
self sustaining reaction
What do the control rods do in nuclear fission?
Absorb neutrons and prevent the escalation of a chain reaction.
What safety precautions are in place in nuclear fission to slow the process down?
Water and control rods
Is nuclear fusion or fission a decay process?
Nuclear fission as it is the breaking down of a nucleus
How is nuclear fission self sufficient?
The nucleus release three or four more neutrons which hit other neutrons and start a chain reaction slowed down by water and control rods.
Whta elements are commonly used in nuclear fission?
Uranium 235
Plutonium 239
What is the job of the moderator in a nuclear reactor?
Slows the neutrons down
What will the supernova become if the mass left over is four or more time larger than that of the sun?
A black hole
What is the name of the process by which elements are made in a star?
Nuclear fusion
What process must happen before a star can become a main sequence star?
Nuclear fusion
What is the correct order for life cycle of a star?
Nebulae
red giant
protostar
white dwarf
Nebulae Protostar red giant white dwarf black dwarf
or
super red giant
supernova
black hole / neutron star
What produces more energy?
Nuclear fusion
What is produced by uranium in nuclear fission?
Two daughter nuclei, two or more neutrons, a burst of energy
