Fission, Fusion and Stars Flashcards
what is nuclear fission?
Nuclear fission is the splitting up of big atomic nuclei, when it splits up it releases energy in the form of heat which can be used in nuclear power stations, one nucleus splits a large nucleus into three more and can continue so on and so on
what is nuclear fusion?
Nuclear fusion is the joining of nuclei to form one large nucleus, fusion releases a lot more energy than fission and is how stars are made, it doesn’t leave behind a lot of waste like fission but can only happen at very high temperature and at a strong magnetic field
what is a protostar?
A protostar is a ball of cloud and dust held together by the force of gravity
what is a main sequence star?
A main sequences star is the long stable period where the heat created in fusion balances the force of gravity, the star maintains its energy output for millions of years due to the masses of hydrogen it consumes
what is a red giant?
A red giant is after main sequence star when heavier elements are formed by the fusion of helium, the star swells to red giant (same/smaller than sun)
what is a red super giant? *
A red super giant is after main sequence star when heavier elements are formed by the fusion of helium, the star swells to red super (bigger than sun)
what is planetary nebula?
Planetary Nebula is when the medium sized star like the sun ejects its outer layer of dust and gas
what is white dwarf - black dwarf?
White dwarf is the hot dense solid core which eventually cools down to black dwarf
what is supernova?*
Supernova is when the reactive elements in red giant explode to form other planets and stars
what is neutron star or black hole?
Neutron star is when the exploding supernova ejects layers of dust and gas into space leaving a dense core, if it is big enough it will become a black hole
