Nuclear Fission Flashcards
All 6 cards in this deck
What is nuclear fission?
The splitting of a large and unstable nucleus into two smaller nuclei.
Name two nuclear fuels used in fission.
Uranium and plutonium.
In a fission reaction, what is emitted by the nucleus as it splits?
Two or three neutrons plus gamma rays.
True or false? Spontaneous fission of an unstable nucleus is common.
False. Spontaneous fission is rare — usually the unstable nucleus must first absorb a neutron.
What type of energy do all of the products of a fission reaction have?
Kinetic energy (they move apart), and energy is released by the reaction.
What are the steps in a nuclear fission event?
e.g. fission of a uranium nucleus in a reactor
- A neutron is absorbed by the uranium nucleus, making it unstable.
- The nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei, roughly equal in size, which have kinetic energy.
- Two or three neutrons plus gamma rays are emitted and energy is released.