nuclear chemistry Flashcards
(13 cards)
how did atoms come into existence?
they came into existence during a massive explosion even 13.7 billion years ago called the big bang.
what were the first atoms to be produced after the universe cooled down?
hydrogen atoms
what is nuclear fusion?
the nuclei of the atoms joined together to form heavier nuclei and therefore more elements were produced
what is a supernova?
the explosion of a star
what will eventually happen to our star?
it will expand to become a red giant before collapsing
why are some atoms radioactive?
some atoms are radioactive because their nuclei is unstable causing them to be unstable
which atoms are unstable?
atoms with an atomic number above 92
what are radioactive atoms called?
naturally occurring radioactive materials
what is background radiation?
background radiation is the tiny amount of radiation in the environment that people are exposed to that is natural level or radiation
how is radioactivity measured?
it is measured using a geiger-muller tube
what are 4 sources of background radiation?
soil,cosmic rays,animals and rocks
what are 3 nuclear disasters that have impacted the level of background radiation?
the mushroom cloud,the chernobyl power station disaster and the fukushima power station disaster
what are 3 mediacal uses ofd radiation?
x rays,some cancer treatments and medical scans
