What makes Uranium so special? What are the Isotopes of Uranium?
Highest atomic weight out of all the other natural elements
Is estimated to be 1,000 x more abundant than gold
Uranium-235, Uranium-238, Uranium-234- the 3 naturally occuring isotopes
Uranium-235 is the main isotope, and holds a large amount of energy inside
1.) What is Nuclear Decay?
Nuclear decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy and stability bu emitting radiation. This process can occur through various modes, including alpha, beta, and gamma decay.
2.) What makes an element radioactive?
An element becomes radioactive when its atomic nucleus has too many or too few neutrons, making it unstable. As a result, the nucleus undergoes radioactive decay emitting radiation to release excess energy.
3.,) What subatomic particle is involved in nuclear reactions?
The subatomic particle involved in nuclear reactions is the neutron. Neutrons have no charge and can easily penetrate the nucleus of an atom, causing changes to the nucleus. Such as fission or fusion reactions.
4.) How? What is the half-life of Uranium-235?
Tghe half life of Uranium-235 is estimated to be about 703.8 million years. This means that every 703.8 million years, half of the original amount of Uranium-235 will decay into a more stable element.
1.) What are significant advances made through the manipulation of nuclear energy and reactions?
Nuclear power provides 10% of the worlds electricity, reducing green house emissions & decreasing climate change
Nuclear reactors are being developed for future energy production-allowing better methods that are more useful
2.) How did nuclear power end one war and start another? Which wars were they?
Ended World War 2-atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to Japans surrender, ending this war-demonstrating the terrifying power of nuclear weapons
Started the Cold War, the deployment of nuclear weapons by the US & Soviet Union was the beginning of it, creating decades long conflict
1.) Explain how nuclear power plants work.
Nuclear power plants generate electricity by harnessing the energy released from spitting atoms. This process is called nuclear fission. This heats water, producing steam that drives turbines, connected to a generator that produces electricity. The steam is then cooled and condensed back into water, and the cycle repeats itself from then on. This is a reliable and efficient way to generate electricity on a larger scale.
1.) A melted penny can increase it's worth into $1.79- turned into zinc and copper 2.) DNA is a nucleic acid, and is responsible for stored information for many living things on earth (certain viruses excluded) 3.) Carbon Atom-the core of our life on earth, can bond with oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon etc... in several different ways
1.) What size is a Uranium nucleus?
A Uranium nucleus is incredibly small, measuring about 15 fm in diameters. 1 fm is equal to one quadrillionth of a meter. This tint nucleus contains 92 protons and 146 electrons.
2.) How small is an electron?
Electrons have the diameter of 0.000001 fm. While protons have a diamter of about 1.7 fm. This means protons are estimated to be about 1.7 million times bigger than electrons.
3.) Which is bigger- Electrons or Protons?
Protons
4.) Compare one of the rays from the EM spectrum to another object. What is your reaction?
Comparing a gamma ray to a human hair strand- a gamma ray has wavelengths smaller than the size of an atomic nucleus. Meaning that, they are roughly 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair strand. My reaction to this new information is, that it seems so unbelievable. I look at a strand of my hair, and feel as though that cannot be possible, you'd have to look at the width of a strand of hair under a microscope.