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Understanding Nuclear Fission: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn about nuclear fission and its energy production process through a famous step-by-step example involving Uranium-236 splitting into two nuclei. Discover how mass loss generates significant energy and its implications for power generation and weaponry. Explore the before-and-after scenarios of nuclear fission and understand the balance between its positive and destructive applications.

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Understanding Nuclear Fission: A Step-by-Step Guide

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  1. 3-7 Nuclear Reactions: Fission (11.2 pg 313-317)

  2. The process of splitting a larger nucleus into smaller nuclei is called nuclear fission.

  3. Here is a ‘famous’ step-by-step example of fission from your text (please note the whole process is an example of artificial radioactivity): • Uranium-236 is not stable, and splits into 2 nuclei • We can write it like this:

  4. This process produces lots of extra energy (Fig.1 p.314), since a small amount of the mass is released as pure energy. • The energy can be used to power electric turbines because (which is used to boil water make steam and turn the turbine). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJfIbBDR3e8

  5. If you examine Table 1&2 p.315 (and maybe even read some of your textbook), you will see the ‘before and after’ of nuclear fission. • Note the small amount of mass lost can produce a lot of power using Einstein’s equation (E=mc2).

  6. Nuclear fission can produce a lot of energy for ‘good’, but unfortunately can also be used to make a really powerful bomb. • Only two nuclear bombs have ever been used in war, but had devastating consequences (Fig.2 p.316). • They both were used on Japan at the end of World War II by Americans, and have never been used in a war since. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIbACkLU-38

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