Physics
Relative to a fossil fuel plant, a nuclear power plant produces
ALL OF THESE: - less heat and smoke - more electricity - less polution
A quark is a fundamental particle
ALL OF THESE: - much smaller than a nucleon - not composed of smaller parts - that makes up a nucleon
The disadvantages to fission power plants include
ALL OF THESE: - risk of accidental release of radioactivity -production of plutonium for possible weapons proliferation - radioactive waste disposal
The energy output of a typical nuclear reactor is via
ALL OF THESE: - spinning a turbine to generate electricity - directing steam to a turbine - heating water to form steam
By scattering Alpha particles from gold, Rutherford showed the atomic nucleus to be very
BOTH OF THESE - small relative to the atom - massive relative to the mass of an electron
Control is maintained in a nuclear reactor by control rods that
absorb excess neutrons
Radium (atomic number = 88) transmutes to radon (atomic number = 86) by
alpha emission
Which experiences the greatest electrical force in an electric field?
alpha particle
A nuclear power plant is very similar to
any conventional power plant, but with uranium as fuel
Nuclear stability is related to the balance between
attracting and repelling forces in the nucleus
Energy released by the Sun results from the process wherein atomic nuclei
combine
Carbon 14 is produced in the atmosphere principally by
cosmic ray bombardment
Discrete radii and energy states of atoms were first explained by electrons circling the atom in an integral number of
de Broglie wavelengths
When the nucleus of an atom emits an alpha particle, the atom's atomic number
decreases by 2
In the fissioning of uranium, a chain reaction is caused by
ejected neutrons
Nuclear reactors that produce consumer power in present times are powered by
fission
What does a breeder reactor "breed"?
fissionable isotopes from a non fissionable isotopes
The nuclear process having by products with least radioactivity is
fusion
Which will NOT bend when moving in a magnetic field?
gamma ray
Plutonium is extremely rare in natural ore deposits because it
has a short half life compared with the age of Earth
The balance between electrical and nuclear strong forces is more tenuous in
heavier elements
When the nucleus of an atom emits a beta particle, the atom's atomic number
increases by 1
Generally speaking, the larger a nucleus is, the greater its
instability
The nucleus that has the least mass per nucleon is
iron
Compared with the sum of isolated nucleon masses, their collective mass in a composite nucleus is
less
Compared with the mass of a uranium nucleus before splitting, the split fragment have
less mass
Compared with the energy produced by fissioning a gram of uranium, the energy produced by fusing a gram of deuterium is
more
A chain reaction progresses when the average number of liberated neutrons that cause further fissions is
one or more
For an isotope with a half life of one day, at the end of two days the amount that remains is
one quarter
Alpha particles and beta particles are deflected by a magnetic field in
opposite directions
The radiation source closest to us originates in
our own bodies
Earth's interior is warmed by ____ and Earth's surface is warmed by ____.
radioactive process fusion in the sun
The high temperature of Earth's interior is mainly due to
radioactive processes
An excited atom decays to its ground state and emits a photon of green light. If instead the decay is to an intermediate state, then the light emitted could be
red
When the nucleus of an atom emits only a gamma ray, the atom's atomic number
remains unchanged
Which is the strongest fundamental force?
strong nuclear force
The Schrodinger equation is most useful for describing
submicroscopic particles
The kinetic energy of fission fragments in a nuclear reactor
superheats water and produced steam
The term critical mass refers to the least amount of mass that can
sustain a chain reaction
Sustained energy output by fusion is a daily occurrence in
the Sun
Most of the radioactivity we personally encounter originates from
the natural environment
When an electron drops from a higher energy level to a lower one, energy is emitted. In comparison, how much energy is required to reverse the process, going from the lower level to the higher level?
the same energy
Gamma rays are emitted by way of
transitions within the atomic nucleus
The discreteness of orbits of electrons in an atom are due to
wave interference
When two light atoms fuse together, mass
- converts to kinetic energy - converts to high energy gamma radiation
The half life of carbon 14 is 5,730 years. If a 1 gram sample of old carbon is 1/8 as radioactive as 1 gram of a current sample, then the age of the old sample is about
17,200 years
A certain radioactive isotope placed near a Geiger counter registers 160 counts per minute. Eight hours later, the counter registers 10 counts per minute. What is the half life of the isotope?
2 hours
