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7. (a) Use words from the box to complete the sentences about nuclear fission of uranium-235 (U-235) - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 7 - 2020 - Paper 1

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7. (a) Use words from the box to complete the sentences about nuclear fission of uranium-235 (U-235). A neutron hits a nucleus of U-235 and causes the nucleus to __... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:7. (a) Use words from the box to complete the sentences about nuclear fission of uranium-235 (U-235) - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 7 - 2020 - Paper 1

Step 1

a) A neutron hits a nucleus of U-235 and causes the nucleus to

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split.

Step 2

a) Each fission releases energy, two daughter nuclei and some

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neutrons.

Step 3

a) In a nuclear reactor, one fission can set off a controlled

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chain reaction.

Step 4

b) Calculate the mass of oil needed to generate the same amount of electricity as 1 kg of natural uranium.

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To find the mass of oil, we first determine the amount of electricity generated by 1 kg of natural uranium, which is 45,000 units. Since 1 kg of oil generates 5,000 units, we divide the electricity generated by uranium by that of oil:

extMassofoil=45,0005,000=9 ext{Mass of oil} = \frac{45,000}{5,000} = 9

Therefore, the mass of oil needed is 9 kg.

Step 5

c) State one harmful waste product from each process. using nuclear fuel:

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radioactive substances.

Step 6

c) burning oil:

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carbon dioxide.

Step 7

d) Explain why americium-241 is the best of these three sources to use in this smoke detector.

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Americium-241 is preferred for smoke detectors due to its properties of emitting alpha radiation, which is effective for detecting smoke because it can ionize air and signal the alarm effectively. Compared to cobalt-60 which emits gamma radiation, americium-241's alpha particles have a greater ionizing power and can easily trigger the detector. Moreover, americium-241 has a relatively long half-life of 433 years, ensuring a long-lasting performance of the smoke detector, whereas actinium-225 has a very short half-life of only 10 days, making it impractical for this application.

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