This question is about radioactive isotopes and nuclear processes.
Polonium-210 can be used to generate heat in small-scale thermo-electric power sources aboard deep-space probes:
- The Polonium-210 undergoes radioactive decay.
- This causes the temperature of the polonium and its immediate surroundings to increase.
- Heat energy is then transferred to electricity generators.
Complete the sentences using the words below. You can use each word once, more than once, or not at all.
chemicalelastic potentialelectrostatic \text{chemical} \qquad \text{elastic potential} \qquad \text{electrostatic} chemicalelastic potentialelectrostatic gravitational potentialnuclearthermal \text{gravitational potential} \qquad \text{nuclear} \qquad \text{thermal} gravitational potentialnuclearthermal- The ............................................................ energy store of the polonium decreases.
- The ............................................................ energy store of the polonium increases.
State why a Polonium-210 nucleus undergoes radioactive decay.
A Polonium-210 nucleus emits an alpha particle (which consists of 2 protons and 2 neutrons).
84210Po \vphantom{}^{210}_{84}\text{Po} 84210PoDetermine the value of the mass number and the number of protons of the nucleus after the Polonium-210 emits this alpha particle.
- Mass number: ............................................................
- Number of protons: ...........................................................
Use the graph below, which shows how the activity of a sample of Sodium-24 changes with time, to find its half-life.
Show your working on how you obtained this value from the graph.
Half-life = ............................................................ hours
Describe how a self-sustaining chain reaction occurs during the nuclear fission of Uranium-235.
The core of the Sun is powered by nuclear fusion. Describe what is meant by nuclear fusion.