chemistry nuclear power plants and fission and fusion and that thing she never taught us

atoms with lower atomic number (1-15)

needs a 1:1 ratio of protons to neutrons to make it stable

the 1:1 line collides with a bit of the band of stability which is

only for atomic numbers 1-15

formula for half life

n = t/t1/2
X=x0(1/2)^n

all radioactive isotopes have a

decay curve like exponential decay

fission

a larger nucleus is split into smaller fragments because a neutron hits it, powers nuclear power plants

fusion

smaller nuclei combine and form larger nucleus and make more neutrons

fission 1 gram of uranium 235

equals energy of burning 3 tons of coal, no carbon dioxide made, but so much energy

fusion: 1g of fusion fuel

is 20 tons of coals being burned, requires temperate of 40,000,00 kelvin, Einstein asked how' do you make fusion at a lower temp, yet to figure it out

disadvantages of fission

releases unstable isotopes which are radioactive

nuclear chain reactors

self propagating; one neutron is released onto an atom and it splits the atom, will keep splitting atoms and making more neutrons

subcritical mass

neutrons are formed, not enough uranium/radioactive material to g around it gets hot and fizzles down because there is not enough radioactive material

fusion

powers the sun

supercritical mass

enough radioactive material to go around so all neutrons made can find another radioactive material

idea of atomic bomb is using

subcritical mass of uranium

subcritical mass of uranium

if a neutron is released on accident it will get warm, won’t go boom; bomb hits the target and both critical masses combine and become critical mass

if something is below the band of stability

it is a positron emission and electron capture

iI nuclei has too many neutrons

it is a beta decay

iI nuclei has too many protons

it has a positron emission and electron capture

if atomic number is greater than 83

these nuclei decay with alpha decay