Chapter 1 Nuclear Energy I. Radioactivity 1 1
A. Definitions Radioactivity emission of high-energy radiation from the nucleus of an atom Nuclide nucleus of an isotope Transmutation process of changing one element into another via nuclear decay
B. Types of Radiation 2+ 1- Alpha () helium nucleus Beta-minus (-) paper 2+ Beta-minus (-) electron lead 1- Gamma () high-energy photon concrete
C. Nuclear Decay Why nuclides decay… to obtain a stable ratio of neutrons to protons Stable Unstable (radioactive)
C. Nuclear Decay TRANSMUTATION Alpha Emission Beta Emission
D. Half-life Half-life (t½) time it takes for half of the nuclides in a sample to decay Example Half-lives polonium-194 0.7 seconds lead-212 10.6 hours iodine-131 8.04 days carbon-14 5,370 years uranium-238 4.5 billion years
D. Half-life total time = 30 hours number of half-lives = 2 How much of a 20-g sample of sodium-24 would remain after decaying for 30 hours? Sodium-24 has a half-life of 15 hours. GIVEN: total time = 30 hours t1/2 = 15 hours original mass = 20 g WORK: number of half-lives = 2 20 g ÷ 2 = 10 g (1 half-life) 10 g ÷ 2 = 5 g (2 half-lives) 5 g of 24Na would remain.
CHAPTER 10 Nuclear Energy II. Nuclear Reactions (p.689-691)
A. F ission splitting a nucleus into two or more smaller nuclei some mass is converted to large amounts of energy
A. F ission chain reaction - self-feeding reaction
B. Fusion combining of two nuclei to form one nucleus of larger mass produces even more energy than fission occurs naturally in stars
Nuclear Energy III. Applications
A. Nuclear Power Fission Reactors Cooling Tower
A. Nuclear Power Fission Reactors
A. Nuclear Power Fusion Reactors (not yet sustainable)
A. Nuclear Power Fusion Reactors (not yet sustainable) National Spherical Torus Experiment Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor Princeton University
A. Nuclear Power 235U is limited danger of meltdown toxic waste FISSION FUSION vs. 235U is limited danger of meltdown toxic waste thermal pollution Hydrogen is abundant no danger of meltdown no toxic waste not yet sustainable
B. Others Choose one of the following to investigate: Irradiated Food Radioactive Dating Nuclear Medicine Make a mini-poster in your book to display what you have learned.