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Nuclear Physics
Most commonly known for its applications in nuclear energy and nuclear weapons, Nuclear Physics also has applications in medicine and archaeology. This category is for questions about the branch of physics that deals with the study of the forces, reactions, and internal structures of atomic nuclei, Nuclear Physics.
3,164 Questions
What is the half-life of a radioisotope if a 50-g becomes 25 g after 18 years?
18 years. Half-life is defined as the time it takes 50% of the nuclide to decay.
When californium decays into Cm what is formed?
Each isotope has another type of decay but generally from californium are formed curium isotopes and an alpha particle.
What does radioactive materials and electricity have in common?
Electrons. Electricity is composed of free electrons and some radioactive decays emit electrons (beta particles)
A Geiger-Müller (GM) counter is used to detect ionizing radiation, specifically from various nuclear decay processes like beta decay, gamma decay, and sometimes alpha decay.
What is the principal effect of the presence of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom?
It is suposed that neutrons are necessary for the stability of the atomic nucleus.
When dealing with an air track why is it smart to avoid measuring right at the collision site?
Tracks in cloud chambers are the "contrails" left by ionizing particles. The magnetic field that set up across the observational space will act on charged particles and deflect them. The curves these particles carve out are better measured a bit away from the site of the origin because greater accuracy can be obtained out there.
If we look at the arc a charged particle takes when acted on by the magnetic field, it is easier to take measurements along the curve farther out because there will be "more track" to work with, and greater accuracy will result. This might not be true with particles that lose energy quickly and "spiral in" to disappear, but it is a good general idea to make measurements out away from a scattering event because better accuracy can usually be had there.
How can we calculate the power of bremsstrahlung with Z and a mass?
I am not sure what "Z" refers to. In any case, I don't think you have enough information if you only know Z and a mass.The calculation for the power of Bremsstrahlung can be found in the Wikipedia article, under "Larmar Formula". It seems that you need some additional information, such as the acceleration.
What does industrial decay mean?
Industrial decay refers to the deterioration or decline of industrial infrastructure and facilities, often due to economic changes, obsolescence, or neglect. This can include abandoned factories, warehouses, and other industrial buildings that have fallen into disrepair over time. Industrial decay is a common phenomenon in areas where industries have declined or moved to other locations.
How do they get neutrons to cause nuclear fission chain reactions?
Uranium spontaneously decays, producing (primarily) alpha and (some) neutrons. With the control rods fully inserted, these neutrons are absorbed and not used. Although some neutrons do go on to cause other atoms to decay, there are not enough to sustain a reaction, what we call a criticality.
To start the reactor up we pull control rods, which increases reactivity. Neutrons are now more free to interact with other atoms of uranium, and the reaction rate increases. We adjust rods (and other things such as water pressure and temperature) and trim reactivity to the desired level, creating criticality in a controlled fashion.
A new core, one that has never been critical, has far fewer spontaneous neutrons flying around. It is still possible to pull rods and go critical, but it will take much longer, and it will be effectively unmonitored because of the low neutron flux. This is dangerous because, by the time criticality starts, you won't be able to trim it up smoothly, and the risk of super-criticality is high.
To avert this, new cores are seeded with neutron sources, usually antimony and beryllium. This creates a higher starting point of neutron flux, and places the in-core instrumentation on-scale, making it far easier to see when criticality is approaching.
Does the sun give energy to earth through fission fusion beta decay or alpha decay?
The source of the energy produced by the sun which gives energy to the earth is fusion.
In stars like the sun, the net effect of fusion is that four protons fuse into one alpha particle, with the release of two positrons, two neutrinos (which changes two of the protons into neutrons), and energy, but several individual reactions are involved, depending on the mass of the star. For stars the size of the sun or smaller, the proton-proton chain dominates.
How long does it take for spent nuclear fuel to become safe?
This takes around 6.000.000 years but it could take longer depending on the amount of nuclear fuel spilt.
What are the two easily detectable products of the decay of a free neutron?
A free neutron decays into a proton, an electron and an electron neutrino (with a mean lifetime of about 15 minutes).
Of these, the proton and electron are readily detectable. Neutrino detection is extraordinarily difficult.
How long does Pilocarpine last ie what is it half-life?
The average half-life of Pilocarpine is around 1.7 hours. However, its duration of action can vary based on the formulation and dosage used, typically lasting around 4-6 hours for eye drops and 6-8 hours for oral formulations.
The simple scalar method of calculation is to integrate the square of the radius (r) across dm, where m is the mass. (Integral r2 dm is the equation, but we don't have an integral sign here.) Use the link to Wikipedia for the rest of the information and expansions on the "basic" equation.
What is the lead casing encasing a nuclear reactor core called?
It is called a radiation containment shield.
Related Information:
It would normally be placed around the outside of the sealed, steel pressure vessel that contains the reactor core. This is because the core temperature can easily exceed the melting point of lead which would not only defeat its purpose, but cause a contamination problem as well.
Lead does an excellent job of absorbing gamma radiation and migrating neutrons. So it is used extensively to shield the environment from dangerous radiation.
What type of radiation from the nucleus is more penetrating than either alpha or beta particles?
Gamma radiation
What is the main difference between visible and coherent light?
First let us remove the word visible from this question and replace it with incoherent, as visible light can be either coherent or incoherent and coherent light can be either inside the visible spectrum or outside it.
- Incoherent light is random/unordered, e.g. wave phases different, shines in all directions, polychromatic.
- Coherent light is ordered in one or more ways, e.g. wave phases all synchronized, shines in one unidirectional collimated beam, monochromatic.
The difference between light in the visible spectrum or outside it is only whether humans can see it or not, there is no difference in the light itself other than wavelength.
What cites were destroyed by atomic bombs?
1st Atomic Bomb- (FAT MAN) Hiroshima
2nd Atomic Bomb- (LITTLE BOY) Nagasaki
Actually, the first bomb dropped was Little Boy, and that was on Hiroshima. Fat Man, the second bomb, was dropped on Nagasaki.
What is the half life of lasix?
The half-life of Lasix (furosemide) varies depending on factors such as age, kidney function, and dosage. On average, the half-life is around 1-1.5 hours in adults with normal kidney function.
What fraction of a radioactive sample remains after three half-lives?
Not sure what you mean by "had-lives". After 3 half lives, approx 1/8 would remain.
