21.4 Transmutation and Nuclear Energy
Building transuranium nuclides by bombardment, energy released in fission versus fusion, and the critical mass and chain reactions reactors control.
4 exercises
21.4 Exercise 1
Write the balanced nuclear equation for the production of the following transuranium elements:
(a) berkelium-244, made by the reaction of Am-241 and He-4
(b) fermium-254, made by the reaction of Pu-239 with a large number of neutrons
(c) lawrencium-257, made by the reaction of Cf-250 and B-11
(d) dubnium-260, made by the reaction of Cf-249 and N-15
21.4 Exercise 3
Both fusion and fission are nuclear reactions. Why is a very high temperature required for fusion, but not for fission?
21.4 Exercise 5
Describe the components of a nuclear reactor.
21.4 Exercise 7
Describe how the potential energy of uranium is converted into electrical energy in a nuclear power plant.
Adapted from General Chemistry © 2019 Rice University. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Sources: Chemistry 2e, Chemistry: Atoms First 2e. Imported at revision 32c7196.