Conceptual Physics

As with many scientific discoveries, this discovery raised more questions. Scientists had long known about electric charge. Sinc ...

provided only if the atom’s positive charge (and mass) were highly concentrated within the atom, in a region called the nucleus. ...

Atomic mass unit u = 1.66054 × 10í^27 kg u = atomic mass unit (amu) Mass number A = Z + N A = mass number Z = atomic number N = ...

38.5 - The strong nuclear force Atoms contain positively-charged nuclei that attract the negative electrons, and the nuclei cont ...

Dependence of radius on A R = (1.2×10í^15 m)A1/3 R = nuclear radius A = mass number 38.7 - Sample problem: nuclear density Varia ...

Step-by-step solution We begin by converting the mass of the hydrogen nucleus into kilograms, then we calculate the radius of th ...

Some nuclides are unstable, meaning they have a limited lifespan. An unstable nucleus is called a radionuclide, and it will spon ...

Heavy elements like uranium have a large number of protons, which all repel one another. As the number of protons increases, the ...

binding energy from the system shows itself as a corresponding reduction of mass in the assembled nucleus. This is sometimes cal ...

What is the total binding energy for a uranium-235 nucleus? 38.12 - Shape of the binding energy curve The graph of binding energ ...

Heavier elements can divide and release energy 38.13 - Fission Fission: A heavy nucleus breaks up into two smaller ones, releasi ...

Since humans learned to split the atom in the 20th century, the process has been put to great use. The most well-known applicati ...

38.15 - Radioactivity and radiation Radioactive decay: A nucleus spontaneously emits particles or high-energy photons and either ...

Negative beta radiation Nucleus emits negative beta particle (electron) Number of protons in nucleus increases by 1 Nuclear mass ...

38.16 - Sample problem: radioactive decay Variables What is the strategy? The Į and ȕ particles have known charge and known mas ...

38.17 - Radioactive decay and half-lives Half-life: The time it takes for half of a group of radioactive atoms to decay. We have ...

After noting the time, restart the process by pressing GO to resume the simulation and press PAUSE when half of the remaining pa ...

As far as high-energy physicists are concerned, the goal is a Grand Unification Theory, or GUT. The current dream is to unify gr ...

Chapter 38 Problems Conceptual Problems C.1 In Rutherford's scattering experiment, positive alpha particles are directed at a th ...

C.9 In the sun, 4 hydrogen nuclei undergo a multi-step process and eventually form a helium-4 nucleus (plus some positrons, neut ...