Rutherford used the measurements from alpha
particle scattering experiments as evidence that an
atom has a small positively charged central nucleus
where most of the mass of the atom is located
The nuclear model of the atom correctly explained why the alpha
particles are scattered and why some are scattered through larger angles
6.3 Nuclear reactions
Isotopes of an element are atoms with the
same number of protons but different number
of neutron. Therefore they have the same
atomic numbers but different mass numbers
Alpha decay is a loss of 2 protons
and neutrons from the nucleus
Beta decay is when a neutron in the nucleus
changes into a proton and an electron
Keywords: Ion, isotope, atomic number, mass number
6.4 More about
different radiation types
α radiation is stopped by
paper or a few cm of air
ß radiation is stopped by thin
metal or roughly 1m of air
Γ radiation is stopped by thick lead
and has an unlimited range in air
A magnetic or an electric field can be used to
separate a beam of alpha, beta and gamma radiation
Alpha, beta and gamma radiation
ionise substances they pass through
Keyword: Ionisation
6.5 Half-life
The half-life of a radioactive isotope is the average time it takes
for the number of nuclei of the isotope in a sample to halve
The activity of radioactive source is the
number of nuclei that decay per second
The number of atoms of a radioactive isotope and
the activity both decrease by half every half-life
Keyword: Half-life
6.6 Radioactivity
at work
The use we can make of a radioactive isotope depends
on its half-life, and the type of radiation it gives out
For radioactive dating of a sample, we
need a radioactive isotope that is present
in the sample which has a half-life about
the same as the age of the sample
Keywords: Tracer, radioactive dating
Energy from the nucleus
7.1 Nuclear fission
Nuclear fission is the splitting of a nucleus into two
approximately equal fragments and the release of 2 or 3 neutrons
Nuclear fission occurs when a neutron hits a
uranium-235 or plutonium-239 nucleus which splits it
A chain reaction occurs when neutrons from
fission go on to cause other fission events
In a nuclear reactor control rods absorb
fission neutrons to ensure that, on
average, only one neutron per fission
goes on to produce further fission
Keywords: Nuclear fission, chain reaction
7.2 Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process
of forcing two nuclei close
enough together so they
form a single larger nucleus
Keywords: Nuclear fusion
Energy is released when two
light nuclei are fused together
7.3 Nuclear issues
Radon gas is an α-emitting isotope that seeps
into houses in certain areas through the ground
There are thousands of fission reactors
safely in use throughout the world.
None of them are of the same type as
the Chernobyl reactors that exploded
Nuclear waste is stored in safe and secure conditions for many
years after unused uranium and plutonium is removed from it
7.4 The early universe
A galaxy is a collection of billions of
stars held together by their own gravity
Before galaxies and stars formed, the
universe was formed of hydrogen and helium
The force of gravity pulled
matter into galaxies and stars
Keywords: Gravitational attraction, star
7.5 The life history of a star
Keywords: Protostar, main sequence star, red giant, white dwarf,
black dwarf, supergiant, supernova, neutron star, black hole
A protostar is a gas and dust cloud
in space that can go on to form a star
Low mass stars follow the path: protostar,
MS star, red giant, white then black dwarf
High mass stars follow the path: protostar, MS star, red
supergiant, supernova, black hole (if sufficient mass)
The sun will eventually become a black dwarf
A supernova is the explosion of
a supergiant after it collapses
7.6 How the chemical
elements formed
Elements as heavy as iron are formed
inside stars as a result of nuclear fusion
Elements heavier than iron are formed in
supernovas along with lighter elements
The sun and the rest of the Solar System
were formed from the debris of a supernova