Question

What is meant by a nuclear bombardment process? Give an example of such a process, and describe what the net result of the process is.

Short answer

A nuclear bombardment process is a procedure that involves bombarding a nucleus with subatomic particles (e.g., protons, neutrons, or alpha particles) to cause a nuclear reaction. This can lead to the formation of new elements, energy release, or particle emission. An example of this process is the nuclear fission of uranium-235 with neutrons, which creates an unstable uranium-236 nucleus that splits into barium-144 and krypton-89, releasing three neutrons and a significant amount of energy. This process plays an essential role in energy production, research, and medical applications.

Step-by-step solution

Definition of a Nuclear Bombardment Process

A nuclear bombardment process is a procedure in which a nucleus is bombarded with subatomic particles, such as protons, neutrons, or alpha particles, with sufficient energy to cause a nuclear reaction. These reactions can result in the formation of new elements, the release of energy, or the emission of specific particles.

Example of a Nuclear Bombardment Process

One example of a nuclear bombardment process is the bombardment of uranium-235 with neutrons, leading to nuclear fission. In this process, a slow-moving neutron is absorbed by the uranium-235 nucleus, causing it to become unstable and split into smaller nuclei along with the release of more neutrons and a substantial amount of energy. This reaction can be written as: \(^{1}_{0}n + ^{235}_{92}U \longrightarrow ^{236}_{92}U^* \longrightarrow ^{144}_{56}Ba + ^{89}_{36}Kr + 3^{1}_{0}n + Energy\) Here, uranium-235 absorbs a neutron and forms an unstable uranium-236 nucleus, which then splits into barium-144 and krypton-89 along with the release of three neutrons and energy.

Net Result of the Process

The net result of this nuclear bombardment process is the conversion of the original uranium-235 nucleus into two smaller nuclei (ba...

Significance of the Nuclear Bombardment Process

Nuclear bombardment processes play a significant role in various fields like energy production, research, and medical applications. For instance, the fission process mentioned above is used in nuclear power plants to produce electricity by utilizing the heat generated during the reaction. Also, nuclear reactions are used in research to study atomic nuclei and their properties, isotopes, decay mechanisms, and more. Bombardment processes are also employed in medical applications, such as in cancer treatment, employing targeted radiation therapy.