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Fais_PScienceCh25
Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Strong force | Attractive force between subatomic particles in the nucleus of an atom |
| Radioactivity | Process of nuclear decay |
| Alpha particle | A Helium nuclei (2 protons and 2 neutrons) |
| Transmutation | Process of one element becoming another via nuclear decay |
| Beta particle | An "electron" emitted from the nucleus of an atom |
| Gamma ray | The highest energy, shortest wavelength of electromagnetic radiation |
| Half-life | The time it takes for 1/2 of the nuclei in a sample to decay into other elements |
| Geiger counter | A device used to detect radioactivity |
| Background radiation | Environmental radiation from natural sources |
| Nuclear fission | The process of splitting a nuclei into smaller nuclei |
| Nuclear fusion | The process of combining nuclei into a larger nucleus |
| Chain reaction | A repeated series of fission reactions |
| Critical mass | The minimum amount of material required to sustain a chain reaction |
| Tracer | A radioisotope used to find or track molecules in an organism |
| Radioisotope | An isotope that is radioactive |