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Nuclear energy GapFill

Target Level
C
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Einstein's famous equation E = mc² describes how mass and energy are equivalent to each other, and the two can convert from one to the other. In a nucleus, the  Coulomb energymass energynuclear energybinding energy is equivalent to the mass difference between the nucleus and the mass of all the nucleons if they weren't in a nucleus. The mass of nuclei is often measured in atomic mass units (u), where 1 u =  1661 MeV931.5 MeV723.6 MeV599.8 MeV.
Mass difference is very important for fission and fusion.  Hydrogen nuclei onlyHigh mass nucleiNoble gas nucleiLow mass nuclei can undergo fusion, where two nuclei join together and the resultant nucleus has a lower mass than the original nuclei, so energy is released.  Uranium and plutonium nuclei onlyHigh mass nucleiNoble gas nucleiLow mass nuclei can undergo fission, where a nucleus splits into two or more fragments, with a total mass lower than the original nucleus, so energy is again released. The nucleus that has the lowest mass per nucleon, and thus is the least likely to go through either of these processes, is  copper-63lead-207helium-4iron-56.
For some elements, fission can be induced by the absorption of a  elasticthermalcriticalslow neutron, which is a neutron that is slow enough to be captured by the nucleus. This fission process then releases further neutrons, which can induce further fission events, in a self-sustaining process known as  a chain reactioncontinuous inductionthe butterfly effecta nuclear landslide.
In a nuclear reactor, the  shieldingmoderatorcontrol rodsdampener slow/slows down neutrons enough to be absorbed via elastic collisions; the  dampenercontrol rodsmoderatorshielding can be lowered and raised to block neutrons and control the rate of the fission process; the  control rodscoolantdampenershielding carry/carries away thermal energy from the reactor, as both a safety measure and so that the energy can be used to generate electricity.

This is your 1st attempt! You get 3 marks for each one you get right. Good luck!

Pass Mark
72%