Definitions

    Cards (32)

    • What is the definition of activity in nuclear physics?
      The rate at which an unstable nucleus decays
    • What is an alpha particle composed of?
      Two protons and two neutrons
    • What does the atomic number represent?
      The number of protons in an atom of a specific element
    • How does background radiation originate?
      From natural sources like rocks and cosmic rays, and man-made sources
    • What is the unit of radioactive activity?
      Becquerel
    • What is a beta particle?
      A high-speed electron emitted when a neutron converts into a proton
    • What does the Bohr model suggest about electrons?
      Electrons orbit the nucleus at set distances
    • What is a chain reaction in nuclear physics?
      Neutrons released by fission induce further fission in other nuclei
    • What is the count-rate in nuclear physics?
      The number of decays measured by a detector per second
    • What are electrons in an atom?
      Negatively charged constituents found in different energy levels
    • How do electrons transition between energy levels?
      By absorbing or emitting electromagnetic radiation
    • What are fission products?
      Two smaller nuclei, two or three neutrons, and gamma rays
    • What is a gamma ray?
      Electromagnetic radiation emitted from a nucleus
    • What is a Geiger-Muller tube used for?
      Measuring the count-rate of a radioactive sample
    • What is half-life in nuclear physics?
      The time it takes for the number of unstable nuclei to halve
    • What are ions?
      Charged particles that have either lost or gained electrons
    • What is irradiation?
      The process of an object being exposed to nuclear radiation
    • What are isotopes?
      Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
    • What does the mass number represent?
      The total number of protons and neutrons in an atom
    • What are negative ions?
      Atoms that gained electrons and have a resultant negative charge
    • What is the role of neutrons in an atom?
      They are neutrally charged particles in the nucleus
    • What causes nuclear explosions?
      An uncontrolled chain reaction producing vast quantities of energy
    • What is nuclear fission?
      The splitting of a large, unstable nucleus into smaller, stable nuclei
    • What is nuclear fusion?
      The joining of two small nuclei to form a larger, heavier nucleus
    • What is the nucleus of an atom?
      The positively charged center containing protons and neutrons
    • What was the plum pudding model of the atom?
      An old model representing the atom as a ball of positive charge with negative charges distributed throughout
    • What are positive ions?
      Atoms that have lost electrons and have a resultant positive charge
    • What are protons?
      Positively charged constituents of the nucleus
    • What is radioactive contamination?
      The unwanted presence of radioactive atoms on other materials
    • What is radioactive decay?
      The random process of unstable nuclei emitting radiation to become more stable
    • What is the unit used for radiation dosage?
      Sieverts
    • What is spontaneous fission?
      Fission that occurs without the absorption of a neutron
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