Question | Answer |
Alpha Particle | Emitted in alpha decay; low penetrating power |
Beta Particle | Intermediate penetrating power |
Gamma Radiation | High electromagnetic radiation |
Positron | Mass of an electron; positive charge |
Radioisotope | Radioactive material; unstable |
Band of Stability | Region where nucleus is stable in n:p ratio; 1:1-1.5:1 ratio |
Transmutation | Changing one element to another |
Radioactive Decay Series | The number of reactions to make an unstable nucleus stable |
Half-life | The time it takes for half of a sample to decay |
Carbon Dating | Using carbon-14 to determine the age of something |
Fission | Heavy particle splits into two or more smaller particles; nuclear reactor; releases energy |
Fusion | Two lighter particles form a heavier particle; sun; releases energy |
Control Rods | Absorbs neutrons in nuclear reactors; determines control rate of reaction |
Geiger Counter | Measures radioactivity levels |
Atomic Bomb | "Little Boy", "Fat Man", uranium or plutonium fission device |
Hydrogen Bomb | Fission-fusion-fission; 1000x more powerful than atomic bomb |
Neutron Bomb | Kill all living things; leave buildings and roads intact |
Mass Defect | Difference in mass of nucleus vs. mass of nucleons |
Binding Energy | Energy holding nucleons together in nucleus |
Mass Number | Sum of protons and neutrons |
Atomic Number | Number of protons; upper-right in box on periodic table |
CERN | Largest particle accelerator, large hadron collider, France and Switzerland, mostly underground, study matter, subatomic particles, and the big bang theory |
Nuclear Reactor | Device that produces energy from uranium fission |