Transcript Slide 1

Nuclear Physics
Nuclear Physics
 You will be able to:
 Describe the atom (from a nuclear perspective!)
 Describe and write equations for different types of
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radioactive decay
Use half life to measure the age of fossils, detect
health problems and escape from a burning house
Be as smart as Einstein (E=mc^2)
Describe how a nuclear reactor works
Tell your neighbours you know how to build a
nuclear bomb
The Atom
 Electrons and nucleons – protons and neutrons
 Most of an atom is empty space
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is used to represent symbol (X), mass (A) and
atomic number (Z)
The Isotope
 Isotopes are atoms with the same number of protons
but different number of neutrons.
 Same chemical properties
 Different physics properties
The Radioisotope
 If an atom has an unstable nucleus it may
spontaneously emit a particle (called decay):
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Thus becoming a new isotope or new element
Atom loses energy at the same time
 These atoms are called ‘radioactive’
 If only a particular isotope is unstable it is called a
radioisotope
 C-14 is a radioisotope
 C-12 is stable
Image Citation
 Images (in order) cited from:
http://www.mererhetoric.com/2007/10/29/britain-clearing-dozens-iranians-to-studynuclear-engineering-at-british-universities-yes-really-plus-europe-wont-go-along-withus-sanctions/
 http://www.luminousnuminous.com/blog/?tag=atomic-age
 http://education.jlab.org/glossary/isotope.html
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