Nuclear Fusion and Fission

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Nuclear Fission vs. Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear fusion is a process in which energy is released when atoms combine to form a new, larger atom. The nuclei of the two atoms join together to form a heavier nucleus and to produce large amounts of energy. Fusion reactions can only occur at very high temperatures that are only possible in the sun and stars. Fusion in the space creates light and heat that helps warm the Earth and help life live. It is used to create hydrogen bombs because the amount of energy released can produce large explosions. (Energyquest, 2009)

Nuclear fission is a process in which atoms are broken apart to create smaller atoms. This also creates a large sum of energy that can produce electricity. In nuclear fission the nuclei of the two atoms are split apart into two smaller atoms with less mass. Fission is used to create atom bombs and nuclear bombs because it has a chain reaction and if used correctly can create huge explosions. (Energyquest, 2009)

Nuclear Reactions vs. Chemical Reactions

Chemical Reaction

Nuclear and chemical reactions can be exothermic (release energy) or endothermic (require energy input). The reactions help turn matter into some form of energy and they create something new in the end. In a nuclear reaction one of more new atoms are formed, and in a chemical reaction one of more new elements are formed. Nuclear reactions change the particles in the nucleus of an atom, while chemical reactions have nothing to do with the nucleus at all. Instead, chemical reactions occur with the electron clouds outside of the nucleus and change the particles that surround it. (Science Help Online Chemistry, 2004)

Energy Released in these Reactions

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter13.html

How energy is produced in the reaction

In chemical reactions energy is either released in the form of heat to create an exothermic reaction. Energy can also be gained and taken from something else in an endothermic reaction. Nuclear reactions use a larger amout of energy then the chemical reactions to produce fission and fusion. All of the matter in the nucleus of two atoms is combined in fission and creates massive amounts of energy that can be used for electricity or large, explosive bombs. A fusion reaction gives off its energy through heat, light, and other forms of radiation. (Science Clarified, 2009)

C3H8 + 5O2 ---> 4H2O + 3CO2 + energy
(energypropane + oxygen yields water + carbon dioxide + energy)

Elements and Isotopes

Comparison of elements and their stable isotopes

Elements and their stable and radioactive isotopes all have the same atomic number, which means they also have the same number of protons in their nucleus. Atoms of the same chemical element that have the same atomic number but different atomic masses are called isotopes. Several different isotopes of each chemical element can be found anywhere in nature. A stable isotope means it is not radioactive at all. Twenty elements have one stable isotope, while the rest have two or more. The most stable isotopes any element has is ten. At least 1,000 radioactive isotopes occur in nature, making them more common than stable isotopes. Radioactive isotopes isotopes that can change into another isotope by splitting apart. (Lentech, 2008)

How Isotopes are Used

There are three main ways isotopes can be used for medicine. Isotopes are a special species of atoms but have the same chemical element with the same spot in the periodic table, but they have different atomic masses and physical properties. They are either radioactive or stable. Firstly, radioactive Isotopes can be injected into a patient and the emitted energy can be recorded on film. The film is a lot of help because it is an important diagnostic tool. Medical isotopes can be injected into a tumor and it would destroy the cancerous cells. When the isotopes are used they can either kill or inhibit malfunctioning cells. The isotopes can be used to diagnose thyroid function and in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Because the isotope would be used in the specific region of the thyroid the radioaction can be confined to that specific organ. Isotopes are also used to detect the effects of radiation of the human organism. Radioactive isotopes are tracers and make it possible to tell what is going on in the human body with organic or inorganic substances. If you were to use something else for that research you would not be able to see the same response you to with radioactive isotopes. Radioactive isotopes are also used for things like, measuring the thickness of plastic or metal sheets by measuring how much radiation they can stop. (AECL, 2009)

Radiation

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma are the three different types of radiation.

First off there is alpha radiation. Alpha radiation is a short range heavy particle that is an ejected helium nucleus. mostly all of alpha radiation cannot get thought human skin. alpha materials can hurt people if the materials are inhaled, swallowed or enter any open wounds. special instruments are used for measuring alpha radiation. Training is required to use the instruments accurately. a thin window Geiger-Mueller (GM) can pick up or detect alpha radiation. instruments cannot pick up alpha radiation even through a thing layer of water, dust, or paper. the reason if because alpha radiation doesn't penetrate anything. Alpha radiation travel up to a couple of inches through the air, but is not a hazard people. examples of alpha emitters are radium, radon, uranium, and thorium. Another type of radiation is Beta radiation. Beta radiation is an ejected electron that is light and short ranged. Beta radiation can get the the gremial layer (the layer of skin where skin cells are produced)of a humans skin. If the beta is left on the skin for a long period of time it may cause skin damage. Clothing can give people some protection from Beta radiation. Beta radiation is internally harmful. A survey instrument and a thin window of GM can detect most Beta radiation. Some Beta emitters have a low energy level and that makes it very hard to detect. Examples of that would be Hydrogen-3 (tritium), Carbon-14, and sulfur-35. Examples of pure beta emitters are strontium-90, carbon-14, and sulfur-35. The last type of radiation is Gamma and x radiation. They are highly penetrating electromagnetic radiation. Gamma and x radiation have no limit to how far it can travel into air or into human tissue. They can penetrate almost all materials. People have nick named it the "penetrating" radiation. It is also an electromagnetic radiation like visible light, radiowaves, and ultraviolet light. The electromagnetic radiation depends on how much energy there is. Heavy materials are needed to be sheild gamma radiation. clothing provides only a light sheild from the penetrating radiation, but will prevent the penetrating of skin for little gaps of time. Gamma radiation is detected by using survey meters with a sodium iodide detector probe. Examples of gamma emitters are iodine-131, celsium-137, cobait-60, radium-226, and technetium-99m. (Radiation Answers, 2009)

How Interactions Within an Atom Cause Change

There are three types of intermolecular force; covalent, ionic, and metallic. All of them cause a change in the atom. The type depends on the different types of atoms. Ionic bonding happens with metal and nonmetal. Metallic bonding happens with two metals. Covalent bonding lets atoms to share there electrons. The atoms either have to give away electrons or get some from another atom. This all depends on how fart he atom has to move to be in the right spot. Opposite charges pull atoms together and positive charges push atoms apart. (Science@Berkeley Labs, 2009)