Studied by 5 people
Half life
Time taken for the number of unstable nuclei to decay to half its original value
Activity
Rate of decay of nuclei in a radioactive sample
Decay constant
Probability of a single nucleus decaying per unit time
Atomic mass unit
1/12th the mass of an atom of C-12
Mass defect
The difference between an atoms mass and the sum of the masses of its protons and neutrons
Binding energy
Minimum energy required to separate a nucleus into constituent protons and neutrons
Fission
Splitting a large nucleus into smaller nuclei
Induced fission
Stable nucleus splits into smaller nuclei due to collision of slow moving neutron
Thermal neutrons
Slow moving neutrons with low kinetic energy which are in thermal equilibrium with moderator
Critical mass
Minimum amount of fuel to maintain a steady chain reaction
Fusion
Binding of 2 small nuclei to produce larger nuclei
Note 
Flashcard (30)