Fission

Practice

practice problem 1

Write a fission bomb question that could be used in both the fission and nuclear weapons sections.

solution

Answer it.

practice problem 2

Write something about a fission reactor.

solution

Answer it.

practice problem 3

Write something — a fission weapon question that could be reused in the section on nuclear weapons if possible.

solution

Answer it.

practice problem 4

INCOMPLETE
A nucleus is a ball of positively charged protons glued together with the help of uncharged neutrons. Splitting a nucleus into two roughly equal halves increases the separation between the protons as a group and reduces their electrostatic potential energy. Determine the following quanities for an idealized fission reaction …
  1. the relative amount of the original electrostatic potential energy released
  2. the absolute amount of the original electrostatic potential energy released by uranium 235 given that its diameter is 12.3 fm and its total charge is +92 e.

solution

  1. Dividing a ball of nuclear matter in half results in two spheres with half the charge and half the volume of the original. Volume is proportional to the cube of radius, so the new spheres will have a diameter that's smaller by the cube root of a half. Apply these changes to the equation for electrostatic potential energy.
     
     
    Thus, each daughter nucleus has roughly 40% of the electrostatic energy of the parent nucleus. But …
     
    40% + 40% ≠ 100%
     
    The remaining 20% is liberated to do work — like boiling water to make steam to generate electricity or, in the case of nuclear weapons, laying waste to a city. INCOMPLETE
  2. INCOMPLETE

The Physics Hypertextbook

  • No condition is permanent.