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E Rad > Radiation and nucelar stability > Flashcards

Radiation and nucelar stability Flashcards

1
Q

What is nuclear energy?

A

energy release during nuclear fission or fusion
nuclear energy is produced by a controlled nuclear chain reaction and creates heat which is used to boil water and drive a steam turbine to generate electricity

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2
Q

Why is nuclear energy important in the UK?

A

accounts for 20% of all electricity generated in the UK

nuclear power plants are AGR - Advanced Gas Reactor Types - use CO2 as coolant.

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3
Q

What is the end daughter product of the decay of U238?

A

Pb-206

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4
Q

What is an atom?

A

the smallest particle still characterising a chemical element. consist of protons and neutrons surrounded by a cloud of electrons

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5
Q

What is the atomic number?

A

the number go protons in the nucleus

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6
Q

What is the atomic weight of an atom

A

the number of protons and neutrons

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7
Q

What type of isotopes readily accept neutrons?

A

Fissile isotopes

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8
Q

What is the stability of a nucleus dependent on?

A

stability is a balance between the coulomb repulsions and short-range attractions that exist between the component neutrons and protons.
At a higher atomic number (#protons) the number of neutrons needed to maintain stability exceeds protons.

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9
Q

When is a nucleus stable?

A

When the attractive forces outweigh the repulsive forces.

neutrons = protons.

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10
Q

When is a nucleus unstable?

A

When the repulsive forces outweigh the attractive forces.

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11
Q

When does radioactive decay happen?

A

When an atom loses stability and ejects a particle in order to try and regain stability. ( rearranges the structure of the nucleus)
It is spontaneous - it does not depend on P or T conditions
unstable parent isotope/atom decays to a daughter atom, emitting radiation

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12
Q

What is the NBE

A

NBE = Nuclear Binding Energy.

The energy required to split a nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons

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13
Q

What is radioactivity?

A

The spontaneous emission of energy and particles by atoms to regain stability.
It can ionising or non-ionising, depending on its effect on atomic matter.
ionising radiation has enough energy to cause radioactive decay.

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14
Q

What is alpha decay

A

emission of a high speed, doubly charged helium nucleus.
He nucleus is very stable.
can be stopped by a piece of paper

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15
Q

What is Beta Decay?

A

A high energy electron.
number of neutrons in the nucleus decreases by 1
stopped by 6 mm of Al
In order to conserve energy and momentum in beta emission, a particle known as a neutrino is postulated
A neutrino has no mass or charge.

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16
Q

What is gamma decay?

A

Electromagnetic radiation of very short wavelength and high energy. Is a photon of light
if you can measure gamma rays emitted from a material, you can tell what type of material it is
gamma rays are stopped by interacting with electrons.
no change in mass or atomic number

17
Q

What is Positron emissioN?

A

emission of a positively charged electron.
the conversion of a proton into a neutron (opposite of beta decay)
number of protons decreases by 1 and the number of neutrons increases by 1. (atomic weight stays the same - atomic number decreases by 1)

18
Q

What is electron capture?

A

the nucleus captures an electron
converts a proton to a neutron.
results in the release of gamma radiation
number of protons decrease by 1 and neutrons increase by 1

19
Q

What is proton emission

A

proton is ejected from the nucleus

atomic number and atomic weight decrease by 1?

20
Q

What is neutron emission?

A

a neutron is emitted from a nucleus

chiefly found in atomic fission debris

21
Q

What is the Rutherford-Soddy Rule?

A

The conservation of mass and charge.

The sum of the mass numbers and charges before and after the radioactive decay are the same.

22
Q

What is the half life?

A

the time it takes for half of the initial number of nuclei to disintegrate

23
Q

how can you determine how many half lives have passed?

A

The ratio of the parent to daughter isotopes

24
Q

What is a radioactive decay sequence?

A

If the daughter isotope formed by radioactive decay is unstable, further radioactive disintegration will occur until a stable daughter element is formed

25
Q

What are blocking temperatures?

A

refers to a process that results in the re-setting of the atomic clocks in a rock. ig/met rocks are heated to high enough temperature that they no longer behave as closed systems. some of the daughter products leak out of the primary material (diffusional migration). can longer be used for dating rocks

26
Q

How are fission tracks in minerals produced?

A

when an atom of U238 disintegrates and emits an alpha particle which causes massive structural damage in the crystal that can be seen by chemical etching.
number of tracks in a given area is proportional to age of the mineral

27
Q

What is fission?

A

Splitting of large nucleus into smaller pieces

28
Q

What is fusion?

A

joining of two nuclei at extremely high pressures and temperatures

29
Q

What effect does alpha decay have on the atomic number and atomic weight?

A

Alpha decay causes the mass number of the nucleus to decrease by four and the atomic number of the nucleus to decrease by two.

29
Q

What effect does alpha decay have on the atomic number and atomic weight?

A

Alpha decay causes the mass number of the nucleus to decrease by four and the atomic number of the nucleus to decrease by two.

30
Q

What effect does beta decay have on the atomic number and atomic weight?

A

Beta decay causes the atomic number of the nucleus to increase by one and the mass number (atomic weight) remains the same.

31
Q

What effect does gamma radiation emission have on the atomic number and atomic weight?

A

Gamma ray emission causes no change in the number of particles in the nucleus meaning both the atomic number and mass number remain the same.

E Rad (3 decks)

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