http://www.ck12.org Chapter 24. Nuclear Chemistry
24.3 Fission and Fusion
Lesson Objectives
- Define fission and explain why energy is released during the fission process.
- Describe a nuclear chain reaction and how it is applied in both a fission bomb and in a nuclear power plant.
- Define fusion and explain the difficulty in using fusion as a controlled energy source.
- Explain how ionizing radiation is measured and how it is detected.
- Describe some uses of radiation in medicine and agriculture.
Vocabulary
- nuclear fission
- chain reaction
- critical mass
- nuclear fusion
- control rod
- moderator
- ionizing radiation
- roentgen
- rem
- Geiger counter
- scintillation counter
- film badge
- radioactive tracer
Check Your Understanding
Recalling Prior Knowledge
- What is nuclear binding energy and how does it relate to the stability of nuclei?
- Why do alpha particles need to be accelerated in order to collide with other nuclei, but neutrons do not?
Common methods of energy production include the burning of fossil fuels, solar power, wind, and hydroelectric.
Each has advantages and disadvantages. In this lesson, you will learn about nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, two
processes that release tremendous amounts of energy but also present unique challenges.