Lise Meitner was an Austrian physicist who was the first woman to become a full professor of physics in Germany - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 12 - 2021
Question 12
Lise Meitner was an Austrian physicist who was the first woman to become a full professor of physics in Germany. In 1938, together with chemist Otto Hahn, she discov... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Lise Meitner was an Austrian physicist who was the first woman to become a full professor of physics in Germany - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 12 - 2021
Step 1
What is nuclear fission?
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Answer
Nuclear fission is the process in which a nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei, accompanied by the release of a significant amount of energy and particles. This reaction can happen spontaneously or induced by the absorption of a neutron.
Step 2
What is the function of the control rods in a fission reactor?
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The control rods in a fission reactor serve to absorb excess neutrons. This helps regulate the rate of the fission reaction, ensuring it remains stable and prevents a runaway chain reaction.
Step 3
What is the purpose of the shielding? What material is used as shielding?
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The purpose of the shielding is to protect personnel and the environment from harmful radiation resulting from the fission process. Materials such as lead or concrete are commonly used for shielding due to their effectiveness in absorbing radiation.
Step 4
State one disadvantage of nuclear fission.
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One disadvantage of nuclear fission is the generation of radioactive waste, which poses long-term storage and disposal challenges, as well as environmental risks due to potential leaks or accidents.
Step 5
How many electrons are in an atom of Mt?
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An atom of meitnerium (Mt) has 106 electrons, corresponding to its atomic number.
Step 6
What is meant by radioactivity?
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Radioactivity refers to the spontaneous emission of particles or radiation from an unstable atomic nucleus. This process occurs as the nucleus transforms to reach stability.
Step 7
Which type of nuclear radiation is the most penetrating?
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Gamma radiation is the most penetrating type of nuclear radiation, as it has high energy and can pass through most materials, requiring dense substances like lead or concrete for effective shielding.
Step 8
Describe an experiment to compare the penetrating power of the three types of nuclear radiation.
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An experiment can be set up using a radioactive source that emits alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Place a Geiger counter behind varying thicknesses of different materials (e.g., paper for alpha, aluminum for beta, and lead for gamma) to measure the intensity of radiation that passes through. The results can then be compared to determine which type penetrates the most.
Step 9
What are isotopes?
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Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei. This results in isotopes having the same chemical properties but differing in mass.
Step 10
How many neutrons are in this isotope?
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Answer
For the isotope curium-247 (Cm^{247}), the number of neutrons can be calculated by subtracting the atomic number (96) from the mass number (247). Therefore, the number of neutrons is:
247−96=151
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