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Radioactivity
Vocab and Nuclear Reaction
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Isotopes | Nuclei that have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons |
Radioactivity | the process of nuclei decaying and emitting matter and energy |
Alpha Particle | a particle that is composed of two protons and two neutrons |
Beta Particle | a high energy electron that is emitted when a neutron decays into a proton |
Gamma Rays | Have no mass and no charge and travel at the speed of light |
Transmutation | The process of changing one element into a different element |
Nuclear Fission | the process of splitting a nucleus into two or more smaller nuclei |
Nuclear Fusion | the process of two or more nuclei combining to form a nucleus of larger mass |
Chain Reaction | a series of repeated fission reactions caused by the release of additional neutrons in every fission |