Physics and Math - Atomic and Nuclear Phenomena

MCAT Chapter 9

photoelectric effect

light sufficently high frequency is incident on a metal in a vacuum, the metal atoms emit electrons

Threshold frequency

minimum frequency of light that causes ejection of electrons

photons

light beam concentration of an integral number of light quanta

work function

minimum energy required to eject electron and is related to threshold frequency of that metal by W = hf

Bohr model of the atom

electron energy levels are stable and discrete, corresponding to specific orbitals

Flourescence

occurs when a species absorbs high frequency ligth then return to it ground state in multiple steps. Each step has less energy than the absorbed light and is within visible range of electromagnetic spectrum

Nuclear binding energy

amount of energy released when nucleons bind together

mass defect

difference between mass of unbound nucleons and mass bonded nucleons within nucleus

Fusion

occurs when small nuclei combine from larger nucleus

fission

process large nucleus splits into smaller nuclei

Radio active decay

naturally occuring spontaneous decay of certain nuclei accompanied by emmision specific particles

Gamma decay

emmision of gamma rays

electron capture

reverse of beta decay

alpha decay

emission of alpha particle (He)

Beta decay

emission of B particle

Positron emission

positron release