Exam 3 Flashcards
(104 cards)
How much of our electricity comes from nuclear power plants?
One-fifth
produces energy; the equation for it is E=mc2
fission
the splitting of a large nucleus into smaller ones with the release of energy; energy is released because the sum of the masses of these fragments is less than the original mass
nuclear fission
Where does the missing mass go from nuclear fission?
It is used for energy!
Where does the atom get most of its mass?
The nucleus
What are the three factors that determine id a nucleus will split?
The size, number of protons and neutrons it contains, and the energy of the neutrons that are bombarding
Which atoms are to undergo fission? Chlorine and oxygen, or uranium and plutonium
The latter
Uranium has how many protons and what is its mass?
92 protons and its mass is 238
Is it U-235 that undergoes fission, or U-238?
U-235
How do you balance a nuclear equation?
Counting the number of protons and neutrons on each side; a balanced equation means the sums of the subscripts on the left are equal to those on the right
a term that generally refers to any reaction in which one of the products becomes a reactant and thus makes it possible for the reaction to become self-sustaining
chain reaction
the amount of fissionable fuel required to sustain a chain reaction
critical mass
used to determine the amount of energy that can be released if all the nuclei in a certain amount of weight of U-235 were used to fission
∆E=∆mc2
a device in which a nuclear chain reactions are initiated, controlled, and sustained at a steady rate (as opposed to a nuclear explosion, where the chain reaction occurs in a split second)
nuclear reactor
What is the efficiency of a nuclear reactor?
55-60%
What is the unit that contains the steam generator, reactor vessel, pump, fuel rods and control rods?
Containment vessel
Where are the uranium pellets located within the nuclear reactor?
In the core!
4/2 He (2 protons, 2 neurons) Has a +2 charge, and when the the nucleus changes that emits this, the mass number decreases by 4 and the atomic number decreases by 2
alpha particles
0/-1 e (1 electron) has a negative 1 charge, the mass number does not change and the atomic number increases by 1
beta
a photon, 0 charge, no change!
gamma rays
characteristic pathway of radioactive decay that begins with a radioisotope and progresses through a series of steps to eventually produce a stable isotope
radioactive decay series
absorption of 0.01 J of radiant energy/kg of tissue
rad or “radiant absorbed dose”
Q x (number of rads) where Q is a relative biological effectiveness factor
rem or “roentegen equivalent man:
used to quantify dose of radiation received = 100rem
Sv or “seivert”
