Changes in nuclear mass can happen when, say, radioactive decay occurs and a nucleus loses mass. When an unstable atomic nucleus "adjusts" to a new state, it dumps a particle or particles, and energy, and its mass decreases. Certainly nuclear fission will cause a dramatic reduction in nuclear mass, but this is the actual "breaking up" of a nucleus into smaller nuclei called fission fragments. Perhaps an example will help. The element radon is an inert gas, but it has no stable isotopes. It's most stable isotope, 222Rn, appears as a decay product of radium; it's a radioactive daughter. It turns out that 222Rn decays by alpha emission, and that means that two neutrons and two protons are kicked out of the nucleus. This will produce the radioactive daughter product polonium-218. It is possible for a nucleus to absorb a particle and gain mass. Frequently this will cause nuclear instability (if it doesn't actually initiate fission) and create a radionuclide, which is unstable and will eventually decay. But something like, say, neutron absorption (neutron capture) will result in an atomic nuclei with a greater mass than the original atomic nucleus that absorbed that neutron. It is of note that fusion knits smaller nuclei or particles together to create a larger nucleus, but this may not necessarily be considered a "simple increase" of mass in a nucleus, though the resultant nucleus will be heavier than any constituent nucuei or particles. You may want an example. If we stick some uranium-238 into an operating nuclear reactor, the 238U will absorb a neutron to become 239U, which is heavier by one neutron that the atomic nucleus that absorbed that neutron. (The 239U is unstable and decays in a couple of steps to make 239Pu, which is used as the fissile material in most nuclear bombs and as a fuel in some nuclear reactors.) Use the links below to related articles posted by our friends at Wikipedia, where knowledge is free.
Fusion is nuclear synthesis, combining atoms of lesser mass into atoms of greater mass. Decay is reducing the mass of larger (unstable) atoms to form atoms of lesser mass.
Beta- decay result in an increase of atomic number by one, with no resulting change in the atomic mass number.There is a change in mass, since an electron and an electron anti-neutrino is emitted, and also because the neutron changes into a proton, but the atomic mass number, per se, does not change.
Neutrons have no charge, but have mass. This is also true of neutrinos, though the mass is considered negligible for most purposes.
Zirconium does not have an isotope with mass 97.
No, lasers would not cause nuclear changes, they would only melt or vaporise material which is not what is wanted. The nuclear properties of the waste would remain the same.
In nuclear changes.
They have different numbers of neutrons, which changes the atomic mass and nuclear properties.
No. Mass never changes, except during nuclear fission and fusion.
All changes, other than some nuclear reactions, must obey the Law of Conservation of Mass. Chemical reactions, physical changes, heating, cooling, and phase changes must obey the Law of Conservation of Mass.
Alpha decayBeta decayK captureGamma decayNeutron decayFissionFusionNeutron captureetc.
-- In the cores of stars, where nuclear fusion reactions are taking place. -- Inside the casing of a nuclear weapon at the moment of detonation. -- In the fuel rods in the core of a nuclear power generating station. -- At the point of collision in the experimental target area in a particle accelerator.
In nuclear fusion mass transforms into energy.
nuclear power
Nuclear fusion produces energy from the changes in the nuclear composition of the fuel, which is a mixture of deuterium and tritium. Essentially what happens is that some of the mass of the nuclei is destroyed and this releases energy
if the shape changes the mass changes
It's not that they have more hydrogen, but that they have more mass, which means stronger gravity which causes nuclear fusion in their cores (basically a constant chain of nuclear explosions) which converts their mass to energy which is emitted in the form of light. The more mass, the more gravity, the more nuclear fusion, the hotter the surface temperature, which changes the light being emitted.
Fusion is nuclear synthesis, combining atoms of lesser mass into atoms of greater mass. Decay is reducing the mass of larger (unstable) atoms to form atoms of lesser mass.