1. Nuclear Physics

2. Vocabulary alpha particle - positively charged particle consisting of two protons and two neutrons. (Helium nucleus) atomic mass number (A) - the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. atomic mass unit - the unit of mass equal to 1/12 the mass of a carbon-12 nucleus; the atomic mass rounded to the nearest whole number is called the mass number. atomic number (Z) - the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. beta particle - high speed electron emitted from a radioactive element when a neutron. decays into a proton binding energy - the nuclear energy that binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus of the atom. element - a substance made of only one kind of atom. isotope - a form of an element which has a particular number of neutrons, that is, has the same atomic number but a different mass number than the other elements which occupy the same place on the periodic table.

3. Vocabulary mass defect - the mass equivalent of the binding energy in the nucleus of an atom by E = mc2 neutron - an electrically neutral subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom nuclear reaction - any process in the nucleus of an atom that causes the number of protons and/or neutrons to change nucleons - protons or neutrons strong nuclear force - the force that binds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of an atom transmutation - the changing of one element into another by a loss of gain of one or more protons

4. Equations, symbols and units where E = binding energy of the nucleus Δm = mass defect of the nucleus c = speed of light = 3 x 10 8 m/s u = atomic mass unit X = element symbol A = atomic mass number (number of protons and neutrons) Z = atomic number (number of protons)

5. Find the number of protons, electrons and neutrons in a neutral atom of iron. # protons # protons + #neutrons 26 protons 30 neutrons neutral #protons = # electrons = 26

6. M2M2 M1M1 Before After M5M5 M4M4 M3M3 E o E f = < M o M f = > E o = E f + (M o -M f )c 2 E o = E f + (Δm)c 2 MASS is transferred to ENERGY

7. p p p p p p p n n n n n n n

8. p p p p p p p n n n n n n n Mass defect is responsible for the binding energy. E binding = (Δm)c 2

9. Transmutation of nitrogen into carbon Nuclide/particleMass (u) 14.0031 neutron1.008664 14.003241 proton1.007825

10. Nuclear fusion – The joining of two small nuclei to form one big one. Nuclear fission – Splitting a large nuclei to two smaller nuclei.

11. Binding energy per nucleon vs. mass number Binding energy Per nucleon (MeV) Mass number

12. Fusion Examples: NuclideMass (u) 1.007825 2.014101 3.016049 3.016029 4.002603 1.008664

13. Fission Example: If splits into and, how many neutrons will be produced? Calculate the energy released in this reaction. ZsymbolAMass (u) 92U236236.045563 42Mo10099.907476 50Sn126125.907653