Nuclear fusion is a process where two or more light nuclei (atomic nuclei with a small number of protons and neutrons) combine to form a single, heavier nucleus.
This process releases energy, as the resulting nucleus has a higher binding energy than the original nuclei.
Nuclear fission is a process in which a heavy, unstable nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing energy and often additional particles like neutrons.
This process is the opposite of nuclear fusion, where smaller nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus.
Question: A powder contains 100mg of a radioactive material that emits α-particles. The half-cycle of the isotope is five days. The mass of isotope that remains after ten days will be?
Answer: The half-life of the isotope is 5 days, which means that every 5 days, half of the remaining material decays. After 10 days, there will be two half-lives:
First half-life (5 days): 100mg → 50mg (half of the material decays)
Second half-life (next 5 days): 50mg → 25mg (half of theq remaining material decays)
So, after 10 days, 25mg of the original 100mg will remain.
Gamma (γ) radiation consists of high-energy electromagnetic waves, such as X-rays or gamma rays, that travel in a straight line and are not affected by electric or magnetic fields.
Gamma radiation is a form of ionizing radiation and can travel several meters in air or several centimeters in dense materials before being absorbed.
Alpha (α) radiation consists of heavy, positively charged particles (alpha particles) that are emitted from the nucleus of an atom during certain types of radioactive decay.
Alpha particles are highly ionizing, meaning they can efficiently remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, resulting in the formation of ions.
