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important and beta decay be devil types of naturally occurring hot decay. In alpha decay, an wobbly nucleus emits an alpha molecule (? ), a particle made up of two protons and two neutrons. For example1 2 In beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus is converted into a proton and a beta particle (i ), an negatron. Specifically, as protons and neutrons argon both made of quarks, i -decay converts an up quark into a big bucks quark releasing a i -particle and an antineutrino (an antineutrino has no charge or mass, so does non affect the chemistry of i -decay). This occurs by the weak thermonuclear force.3 For example4 This table shows just about of the differences between ? -decay and i -decay emissions5 ?-decay i -decay Particle emitted helium nucleus electron congener charge +2 -1 Relative mass 4 0. 00055 Range in air 10cm 10m Stopped by stem Aluminium foil Deflection by electrical field Low exalted The fundamental difference between radioactive decay and nuclear nuclear fission is that, whereas radioactive decay is spontaneous, nuclear fission moldiness(prenominal) be induced. In nuclear fission, when an unstable nucleus use ups a neutron, it bursts, emitting more neutrons and backdrop off a continuous mountain range reception.This leads to products with nuclear good deal around fractional those of the sign nuclei, whereas in radioactive decay, the initial and final nuclear masses argon relatively close together. The other major(ip) difference is that fission releases considerably more cater than decay. This energy comes from mass incapacitated in fission, according to the equation E = mc2, where E is energy, m is mass and c is the speed of light. Synthesis of Elements in Stars Stars raise their energy from nuclear coalescence, in which nuclei fall in together to make larger nuclei. heat content is employ in normal-sized stars(e+ represents a positively charged electron, and ? e is a neutrino).This offset requires temperatures of around 13 million K and pressures of around 300 billion atmospheres. 6 When almost all of the hydrogen has fused, the helium nuclei skunk collide to make nuclei much(prenominal) as beryllium7 This leads to the world of further nuclei containing four nucleons carbon, oxygen, neon and magnesium. erst all the helium has fused, further collisions harbor place between the created nuclei. This leads to the production of gauzy amounts of hydrogen and helium, producing most of the inaugural 18 elements, such as lithium8.atomic number 3 can similarly be sustaind by the collision of a Beryllium-7 nucleus and an electron. The nuclear process that takes place here is electron capture, in which an atom captures an electron, turning a proton into a neutron and releasing a neutrino. This happens by the weak interaction, like i -decay9 Smaller amounts of lithium can also be produced in the fission of slightly nuclei by cosmic rays and in supernovae, when argillaceous stars become unst able and explode. 10 Producing qualification through thermonuclear fission and Fusion.In nuclear fission, an unstable nucleus absorbs a neutron, exciting the nucleus, causing it to oscillate and split into two smaller nuclei. This process releases more neutrons, causing more nuclei to split, and so on. This is shown in Fig. 211 with Uranium-235. The energy produced by nuclear fission, by E = mc2, is 3. 210-11 J per fission. 12 Uranium-235 is used to produce energy by fission agnise Fig. 313. Controlling this response Uranium-238 is mixed with uranium-235. Uranium-238 nuclei absorb neutrons but do not react by fission, break the chain in the reaction.Graphite moderators fit(p) in between the uranium rods cut off the kinetic energy of the neutrons produced so they can induce fission. Boron-coated steel control rods absorb neutrons, and can be moved in and out of the reactor. If they are fully in, the reaction stops. atomic fusion takes place when, chthonic certain condition s, two nuclei fuse together. For example, with heavy hydrogen and tritium14 The energy produced comes from the mass confused 3. 1710-29 kg 15 16. By E = mc2, this gives out 2. 8610-12 J per fusion. On earth, for this to happen the nuclei must be in ionised plasma at temperatures of 15108 iC. The problem with this is that it must be kept away from the walls of the container to minimize heat loss. To do this, a tokamak is used. This uses charismatic currents to keep the plasma from touching the walls (see Fig. 417). The walls are made of graphite, which is not harmed by the temperature. both fission and fusion have some(prenominal) advantages and disadvantages for use in producing electricity Advantages Disadvantages Fission Uranium-235 produces 3. 7 million times the energy per unit mass as coal18 Uranium-235 leave not run out on the same timescale as fossil fuels19.It produces no gases that directly cause orbicular heating Fission produces waste radioactive actinides, which are dangerous for thousands of historic period Fission has light-emitting diode to disasters such as Chernobyl in 1986, which caused all over 4000 deaths20 Fusion The fuel hydrogen is verdant The radioactive waste products have half-lives hundreds of years less than those of fission Fusion is safer than fission, as only small amounts of products are used It produces no gases that directly cause global warming The conditions required for fission are hard to produce.The process used to produce energy by fusion is not yet perfect see under Challenges Facing the Development of Fusion force-out Stations The major problem with fusion is generating and containing the conditions required for the reaction. As detailed preceding(prenominal), a tokamak is used, this has some problems. The plasma still touches the layer of the chamber, and where it does this hydrogen reacts with the walls forming hydrocarbon radicals. These can form a film, which flakes away into the plasma, affecting performance21. Possible solutions allow in removing the film with lasers22 or using west walls, which would not erode23.A probable germ of a solution is the International Tokamak data-based Researcher, currently being built in France. It will be used as a prototype to test the reaction on the necessary levels required. Fusion should be available to produce commercial power by 2040.References Used throughout the pass over alchemy Review Lise Meitner Radiochemist, physicist and co-discoverer of nuclear fission, Gordon Woods, book 16 Number 1, family 2006 (Article 1) Fusion, Powering the futurity? , Chris Warrick, Volume 16 Number 1, September 2006 and Lithium, Chris Ennis, Volume 15 Number 31, February 2006 (Article 2).Salters move on interpersonal chemistry Chemical Ideas, George Burton et al, Heinemann Educational Publishers, Halley Court, Jordan Hill, Oxford, OX2 8EJ, ISBN 0-435-63129-9, first magnetic declination 1994, second interlingual rendition 2000 1 equation copied from page 3, Lise MeitnerRadiochemist, physicist and co-discoverer of nuclear fission see preceding(prenominal) 2 Fig. 1 copied manually from knave 487, The exchange record of forces, Advanced Physics, Tom Duncan, John Murray (Publishers) Ltd, 50 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4BD, first edition 1972, ISBN 0-7195-7669-5, fifth edition 2000, reprinted 2002 3http//www. chemie. de/lexikon/e/Beta_decay, Beta Decay, (c) 1997-2008 Chemie.de Information operate 4 Equation copied from page 3, Lise Meitner.Radiochemist, physicist and co-discoverer of nuclear fission see above 5 Table adapted from Page 20, nuclear Reactions, Salters Advanced Chemistry Chemical Ideas see above 6Where did the chemical substance elements come from? , Page 131, The Universe A Biography, John Gribbin make by Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London, WC2R ORL, ISBN 978-0-1410-2147-8, 2006 7Equation copied from street corner 1 Nucleogenesis.Page 21, Lithium, Chris Ennis see above 8Equation copied from Box 1 Nucleo genesis, Page 21, Lithium, Chris Ennis see above.9 http//www. britannica. com/nobelprize/article-48278, electron capture with a Beryllium-7 nucleus, from the Encyclopaedia Britannicas Guide to the Nobel Prizes, (c) 2008 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 10.Where do the chemical elements come from? , Page 10, Salters Advanced Chemistry Chemical Storylines, George Burton et al, Heinemann Educational Publishers, Halley Court, Jordan Hill, Oxford, OX2 8EJ, ISBN 0-435-63119-5 first edition 1994, second edition 2000 11 Fig. 2 taken from http//www. astro. bas. bg/petrov/herter00. html, lecture notes for astronomy.Bulgarian embed of Astronomy http//www.astro. bas. bg/ 12 http//www. lancs. ac. uk/ug/bloomer/nuclearpower/theory. htm, Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion, from the University of Lancaster, www. lancs. ac. uk 13 Fig. 3 copied manually from Box 2, Article 1 (see above) adapted from Chemistry Today, (c) E. Henderson, Macmillan Publishers Ltd, 1977. 14 Equation copied from Box 2, Fusio n, powering the early? , Chris Warrick see above 15 Mass of reactants and products given in proton masses in Box 2, Fusion, powering the future?Chris Warrick see above 16 Proton masses converted to kilograms using the mass of mavin proton as 1.6710-27 kg, from Data Sheet, Page 3, AQA GCE AS Physics A Unit 1, January 2007 17 Fig. 4 taken from http//www. jet. efda. org/pages/fusion-basics/fusion3. html, Fusion Basics, (c) EFDA-JET 18 http//www. virtualnucleartourist. com/basics/reasons1. htm, a website intended to come through you basic information about the diverse types of plants and their principle of operation, (c) 2006.The Virtual Nuclear Tourist 19 http//www. abc. net. au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2007/2080110. htm, an interview with Professor Martin Sevior from the University of Melbourne by the Australian Broadcasting.Corporation20 http//www. who. nt/ionizing_radiation/chernobyl/who_chernobyl_report_2006. pdf, the World Health Organisations report on Chernobyl 21 Chemistry Re view Fusion, powering the future? , Chris Warrick see above 22 http//www. lasers. org. uk/paperstore/Cleaning14. pdf, Dust Removal from neighboring Generation Tokamaks by optical maser and Flashlamp Cleaning, K. G. Watkins et al, Lasers and Laser Engineering, University of Liverpool, 2001 23 http//www. jet. efda. org/documents/articles/samm. pdf, Controlled thermonuclear fusion enters with ITER into a new era, Page 12 Ulrich Samm, EFDA-JET, 2003.