P2 TOPIC 5

NUCLEAR FISSION& FUSION 

ATOMS EMITS ALPHA,BETA OR GAMMA RADIATIONS IN RADIOACTIVE DECAY. ALL NUCLEAR REACTIONS CAN BE SOURCES OF ENERGY.

FISSION (SPLITTING UP THE NUCLEUS) : IN A FISSION REACTION, A LARGE UNSTABLE NUCLEUS SPLITS INTO TWO SMALLER ONES. FISSION REACTIONS TAKE PLACE IN A NUCLEAR REACTOR TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY ON A LARGE SCALE.

FOR EXAMPLE, A UNSTABLE URANIUM-235 NUCLEUS SPLITS UP WHEN IT ABSORBS A NEUTRON. FISSION OF uRANIUM-235 PRODUCES TWO DAUGHTER NUCLEI, TWO OR MORE NEUTRONS AND RELEASES ENERGY. ENERGY RELEASED AS THE KINETIC ENERGY OF…