Question 1:
What is meant by nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?
Answer:
Nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei and releases a large amount of energy.
Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two small and light nuclei fuse to form a heavier nucleus while releasing a large amount of energy.
What is meant by nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?
Answer:
Nuclear fission is a nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei and releases a large amount of energy.
Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two small and light nuclei fuse to form a heavier nucleus while releasing a large amount of energy.
Question 2:
Describe the chain reaction that occurs in a nuclear reactor.
Answer:
In a nuclear reactor, a uranium- 235 nucleus is bombarded by a neutron to form the uranium-236 nucleus which is unstable.
The unstable uranium-236 nucleus will split to produce lighter and more stable nuclei such as barium-141 and krypton-92 as well as three new neutrons.
The three neutrons released will then bombard three other uranium-235 nuclei to form three heavy unstable uranium-236 nuclei.
These unstable uranium-236 nuclei will undergo nuclear fission which in turn produce other neutrons that enable the subsequent nuclear fission.
The nuclear energy produced increases with the increasing number of fission of nuclei.
Describe the chain reaction that occurs in a nuclear reactor.
Answer:
In a nuclear reactor, a uranium- 235 nucleus is bombarded by a neutron to form the uranium-236 nucleus which is unstable.
The unstable uranium-236 nucleus will split to produce lighter and more stable nuclei such as barium-141 and krypton-92 as well as three new neutrons.
The three neutrons released will then bombard three other uranium-235 nuclei to form three heavy unstable uranium-236 nuclei.
These unstable uranium-236 nuclei will undergo nuclear fission which in turn produce other neutrons that enable the subsequent nuclear fission.
The nuclear energy produced increases with the increasing number of fission of nuclei.
Question 3:
Explain how a nuclear reactor generates electrical energy.
Answer:
– In a nuclear reactor, fissions occurs when uranium-235 nuclei are bombarded by neutrons to form a chain reaction.
– The resulting nuclear energy boils water to become steam.
– High pressure steam is channeled to rotate the turbine.
– Rotating turbines with switch on dynamos that generate electrical energy.
Explain how a nuclear reactor generates electrical energy.
Answer:
– In a nuclear reactor, fissions occurs when uranium-235 nuclei are bombarded by neutrons to form a chain reaction.
– The resulting nuclear energy boils water to become steam.
– High pressure steam is channeled to rotate the turbine.
– Rotating turbines with switch on dynamos that generate electrical energy.
Question 4:
A nuclear reaction is represented by the following equation:
The mass defect is 0.19585 amu. Calculate the energy that is released by the reaction.
Answer:
$$ E=m c^2 $$
$$ \text { where } \begin{aligned} E & =\text { total energy released } \\ m & =\text { mass defect } \\ c & =\text { the speed of light in vacuum } \end{aligned} $$
$$ 1 \mathrm{amu}=1.66 \times 10^{-27} \mathrm{~kg} $$
$$ \begin{aligned} m & =0.19585 \times 1.66 \times 10^{-27} \\ & =3.25111 \times 10^{-28} \end{aligned} $$
$$ \begin{aligned} E & =3.25111 \times 10^{-28} \times\left(3.0 \times 10^8\right)^2 \\ & =3.25111 \times 10^{-28} \times 9.0 \times 10^{16} \\ & =2.9260 \times 10^{-11} \mathrm{~J} \\ & =2.93 \times 10^{-11} \end{aligned} $$
A nuclear reaction is represented by the following equation:
The mass defect is 0.19585 amu. Calculate the energy that is released by the reaction.
Answer:
$$ E=m c^2 $$
$$ \text { where } \begin{aligned} E & =\text { total energy released } \\ m & =\text { mass defect } \\ c & =\text { the speed of light in vacuum } \end{aligned} $$
$$ 1 \mathrm{amu}=1.66 \times 10^{-27} \mathrm{~kg} $$
$$ \begin{aligned} m & =0.19585 \times 1.66 \times 10^{-27} \\ & =3.25111 \times 10^{-28} \end{aligned} $$
$$ \begin{aligned} E & =3.25111 \times 10^{-28} \times\left(3.0 \times 10^8\right)^2 \\ & =3.25111 \times 10^{-28} \times 9.0 \times 10^{16} \\ & =2.9260 \times 10^{-11} \mathrm{~J} \\ & =2.93 \times 10^{-11} \end{aligned} $$