1. Launch:10/8
 Place last night’s homework on your desk
 Answer the following question:
1. Write out the balanced equation for the alpha
decay of Polonium-214.

2. 4. Which of the following correctly represents the
alpha decay of Polonium-214?

3. Unit #3: Nuclear Processes

4. What is a nuclear
reaction?
Mr. Heffner
10/8/09

5. What is a nuclear reaction?
 Three types:
1. Radioactive decay
2. Fission
3. Fusion

6. What is a nuclear reaction?
 Three types:
1. Radioactive decay
2. Fission
3. Fusion

7. 1.What is radioactive decay?
 When an unstable isotope emits a particle and
transforms into a more stable isotope.
Parent Isotope Daughter Product
(Unstable) (Stable)
α, β, or γ particle

8. What is a nuclear reaction?
 Three types:
1. Radioactive decay
2. Fission
3. Fusion

9. 2. What is fission?
 In fission…
 an unstable heavy nucleus splits apart to form two (or
more) lighter nuclei

10. 2. What is fission?
 Fission is a chain reaction

11. 2. What is fission?
 Examples of fission:
 Atomic bomb

12. 2. What is fission?
 Examples of fission
 Nuclear energy

13. What is a nuclear reaction?
 Three types:
1. Radioactive decay
2. Fission
3. Fusion

14. 3. What is fusion?
 In fusion…
 two nuclei come together and merge (or fuse) to form
a heavier nucleus

15. 3. What is fusion?
 Examples of fusion
 The sun

16. 3. What is fusion?
 Examples of fusion
 Fusion reactor

17. What makes nuclear
reactions so powerful?
 Nuclear reactions are…
1,000,000
(one million)
…times more powerful than chemical reactions.

18. What makes nuclear
reactions so powerful?
 Albert Einstein
 E=mc2
 E = energy
 m = mass
 c = speed of light
 3 X 108 m/s
 A small amount of mass is
converted into energy

19. What is a nuclear reaction?
 Three types:
1. Radioactive decay
2. Fission
3. Fusion

20. Mind Map
 In the center, write “Nuclear Reactions”
 In the next three ovals, write the 3 types of nuclear
reactions
 Radioactive Decay
 Fill in the boxes with a short definition, a small
picture, and a list of examples
 Definition: Unstable isotopes emit particle  stable
 Examples: Radiation therapy

21. Practice Questions
1. What is fission?
2. How is fission different from fusion?
3. What is something that fission and fusion have in
common?
4. What are two ways that nuclear reactions help us?
What are two ways that nuclear reactions hurt us?
5. How do nuclear reactions compare to chemical
reactions?
6. Why are nuclear reactions so powerful? What is
the equation and who discovered it?

22. Exit Slip
1. Which of the following correctly identifies the three
types of nuclear reactions?
a. fission and fusion
b. fusion, fission, and isotope emission
c. fission, fusion, and radioactive decay
d. fusion, alpha particle, and fission

23. Exit Slip
2. The process by which a heavy nucleus splits apart
to form two lighter nuclei is called
a. neutron absorption.
b. fusion.
c. beta decay.
d. fission.

24. Exit Slip
3. The picture above is an example of
a. fusion.
b. radioactive decay.
c. fission.
d. none of the above.

25. Exit Slip
4. Nuclear reactions are
a. only destructive and do not contribute towards
human development.
b. one million times more powerful than chemical
reactions.
c. not involved with changes to the nucleus of an atom.
d. dependant on the number of valence electrons in an
isotope.

26. Exit Slip
5. Why are nuclear reactions so powerful?
a. because a small amount of mass is converted
into energy
b. because the speed of light is a really small
number
c. because electrons have a strong repulsive force
d. because isotopes are usually more stable than
other atoms of the same element

27. Homework
 Pg. 874 #11, 15, 17
 Pg. 669 #6, 8, 11, 12, 19
 Study for tomorrow’s quiz using exit slips!
 lpschem.wordpress.com