Nuclear fission

Scientists have used lasers to start a nuclear fusion reaction.

The scientists used the lasers to heat a small amount of an isotope of hydrogen.

Describe what is meant by ‘isotopes’ of an element.

Explain how nuclear fusion releases energy.

The fusion reaction releases large amounts of energy.

The fusion reaction takes place in a reactor.

Explain why the walls of the reactor should be made from a material with a very high specific heat capacity.

Nuclear fusion is safer than nuclear fission.

Nuclear fission can lead to an uncontrolled chain reaction.

Give one consequence of an uncontrolled chain reaction.

The process of nuclear fission is used in nuclear power stations.

Figure 17 shows the process of nuclear fission.

Complete the sentences.

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In nuclear power stations, energy is released from

The uranium in Figure 17 splits into two parts and

The process of nuclear fission releases electromagnetic radiation in the

Use the Physics Equations Sheet to answer questions 10.2 and 10.3.

Write down the equation which links energy (E), power (P) and time (t).

A nuclear power station has a power output of 500 MW.

Calculate the energy output in 3600 s.

Give your answer in J.

Radioactive waste produced by nuclear power stations has a long half-life.

Suggest one precaution taken to reduce the hazard caused by radioactive waste from power stations.

Nuclear power stations do not generate electricity every day of the year.

One nuclear power station generated electricity for 92% of a year.

one year = 365 days

Calculate the number of days during the year that the nuclear power station generated electricity.

The process of nuclear fission is used in nuclear power stations.

Figure 2 shows the process of nuclear fission.

Complete the sentences.

Choose answers from the box.

In nuclear power stations, energy is released from

uranium.

The uranium in Figure 2 splits into two parts and

releases three.

The process of nuclear fission releases electromagnetic radiation in the

form of.

Use the Physics Equations Sheet to answer questions 02.2 and 02.3.

Write down the equation which links energy (E), power (P) and time (t).

A nuclear power station has a power output of 500 MW.

Calculate the energy output in 3600 s.

Give your answer in J.

Radioactive waste produced by nuclear power stations has a long half-life.

Suggest one precaution taken to reduce the hazard caused by radioactive waste from power stations.

Nuclear power stations do not generate electricity every day of the year.

One nuclear power station generated electricity for 92% of a year.

one year = 365 days

Calculate the number of days during the year that the nuclear power station generated electricity.

Some isotopes emit nuclear radiation.

Carbon-12 and carbon-14 are both isotopes of carbon.

Complete the sentences.

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The nucleus of a carbon-12 atom and the nucleus of a carbon-14 atom have the

same number of.

The nucleus of a carbon-12 atom and the nucleus of a carbon-14 atom have a

different number of.

Different radioactive isotopes have different half-lives.

What does ‘half-life’ mean?

Tick (✓) one box.

Table 2 shows the half-life of some different isotopes of carbon.

Which isotope is the least stable?

Tick (✓) one box.

Workers in nuclear power stations must be aware of nuclear irradiation and radioactive contamination.

Draw one line from each term to an example of the term.

Why are workers required to walk across a sticky floor before leaving the nuclear power station?

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The places where people work and live contribute to the nuclear radiation they are exposed to.

Table 3 shows the mean daily dose of radiation caused by two different jobs.

Calculate the number of days a nuclear power station worker must work before receiving the same dose that an aeroplane pilot receives in one day.

The process of nuclear fission takes place in nuclear power stations.

The process of nuclear fusion takes place in the Sun.

Draw one line from each process to its fuel.

Radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is a man-made source of background radiation.

Which of the following is also a man-made source of background radiation? Tick (✓) one box.

Nuclear power stations use the process of nuclear fission. Complete the sentences to describe the process of nuclear fission. Choose answers from the box.

Plutonium-239 is one type of radioactive waste from nuclear power stations. The following nuclear equation represents the decay of plutonium-239 (Pu-239). 239 235 4

How does the nuclear equation show that alpha radiation is emitted when plutonium-239 decays?

Tick (✓) one box.

Figure 8 shows how the activity of a sample of plutonium-239 varies with time.

How much time will it take for the activity of the sample of plutonium-239 to fall to half of its initial activity?

What is the half-life of plutonium-239?

The radioactive waste from a nuclear power station is buried underground. People are warned to stay away from places where radioactive waste is buried. Suggest one risk of going near the place where radioactive waste is buried.

Radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is a man-made source of background radiation.

Give one other man-made source of background radiation.

Nuclear power stations use the energy released by nuclear fission to generate electricity.

Give the name of one nuclear fuel.

Nuclear fission releases energy. Describe the process of nuclear fission inside a nuclear reactor.

A new type of power station is being developed that will generate electricity using nuclear fusion. Explain how the process of nuclear fusion leads to the release of energy.

Nuclear fusion power stations will produce radioactive waste. This waste will have a much shorter half-life than the radioactive waste from a nuclear fission power station. Explain the advantage of the radioactive waste having a shorter half-life.

Nuclear power can be used to generate electricity through nuclear fission.

Figure 6 shows the process of nuclear fission.

Complete the sentences.

Choose answers from the box.

gamma rays light rays proton neutron nucleus X-rays

Electromagnetic radiation is released in the form of.

The UK needs at least 25 000 000 kW of electrical power at any time.

A nuclear power station has an electrical power output of 2 400 000 kW

Calculate how many nuclear power stations are needed to provide 25 000 000 kW of electrical power.

State two environmental issues caused by generating electricity using nuclear power stations.

The UK currently generates a lot of electricity by burning natural gas. This process releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Figure 7 shows how the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has changed over the past 115 years.

Figure 8 shows how the global temperature has changed over the past 115 years.

Give one similarity and one difference between the data in Figure 7 and Figure 8.

Nuclear power stations generate electricity through nuclear fission. Electricity can also be generated by burning shale gas.

Shale gas is natural gas trapped in rocks. Shale gas can be extracted by a process called fracking. There is some evidence that fracking causes minor earthquakes. Burning shale gas adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Describe the advantages of nuclear power compared with the use of shale gas to generate electricity.

What is the name of one fuel used in nuclear power stations?

Describe the process of nuclear fission.