Lab 4.

Nuclear Fission & Radioactivity

REPORT
Your Name : Brandon Burgess

File Naming Convention for this Report

Add your first name and last name to this document’s file name like this, and use the
underscores as shown:

M4_Report_YourFirstName_YourLastname.doc

How to Submit Your Lab Report

 Download the word document (M4_Report_FirstName_LastName.docx) that is attached

below.

 Complete the report in a Word document.

 Return to the assignment area for this assignment, M4 Assignment .

 Look for the “Add Attachments” button in the assignment area.

 Browse for the assignment that you have on your computer, and select it so that it
uploads to the assignment area.

 Click “Submit.”

Grading Criteria

This report is worth 35 points. 5 points are assigned for submission, if the report is submitted on
time. The remaining 30 points are assigned based on your answers to the Comprehension
Questions.

Due Date

This assignment is due on Oct 22 (Fri) at 10:00pm.

More information on the next page

 Comprehension Questions

1 ) E x p l a i n w h a t h a p p e n s t o t h e U r a n i u m – 23 5 n u c l e u s , u p o n
c at c h i n g a n e u t r o n a n d b e f o r e fi s s i o n . Uranium-235
b e c o m e s u n s t a b l e w i t h t h e t ot a l e n e r g y w i t h i n t h e a t o m
increasing.

2 ) H o w i s t h e a t o m i c n u m b e r o f t h e n e w n uc l i d e r e l a t e d t o
U r a n i u m – 2 3 5 ? H o w a b o u t t h e m a s s n u m b e r ? T h e at o m i c
and mass numbers would be greater than than Uranium-
235.

3 ) H o w m a n y n e u t r o n s d o e s t h e fi s s i o n p r o c e s s r e l e a s e ?
three
4 ) F i r e n e u t r o n s at b o t h U r a n i u m – 2 3 5 a n d U r a n i u m – 2 3 8
a n d o b s e r v e w h a t h a p p e n s ? W h i c h i s fi s s i l e ? Uranium-
235 splits easily whereas Uranium-238 does not. Uranium-
2 3 5 i s fi s s i l e .

5) As you enrich the pile with Uranium – 235, what trend do

y o u s e e i n t h e fi s s i o n r a t e ? T h e fi s s i o n r at e i n c r e a s e s
t r e m e n d o u s l y a s y o u p l a c e m o r e U r a n i u m - 2 35 i n t h e p i l e .

6 ) E x p l a i n w h y t h e p o w e r o u t p u t d r o p s w h e n t h e c o nt r o l r o d s
are inserted in the nuclear reactor? Power output drops
w h e n t h e c o nt r o l r o d s a r e i n s e r t e d i n t h e n u c l e a r r e a c t o r
because the control rods prohibit the neutrons escaping
f r o m t h e fi s s i l e U r a n i u m f r o m c o l l i d i n g w i t h o t h e r
Uranium.
7 ) D e s c r i b e t h e p r o c e s s o f c o n t r o l l e d c h a i n r e a c ti o n i n y o u r
o w n w o r d s . A c o n t r o l l e d c h a i n r e a c ti o n o c c u r s w h e n o n l y
o n e o f t h e t hr e e e s c a p i n g n e u t r o n s i s a l l o w e d t o c o l l i d e
w i t h o t h e r fi s s i l e c o m p o u n d s .
8) When Carbon – 14 decays into Nitrogen – 14, what kind of
radio decay is it (alpha? beta? gamma?) Beta Decay
9 ) I s i t p o s s i b l e t o p r e d i c t w h e n o n e p a r ti c u l a r C a r b o n – 1 4
n u c l e u s i s g o i n g t o d e c a y ? H o w d o e s t h e d e c a y r at e c h a n g e
w i t h t h e p o p u l a ti o n o f C a r b o n – 1 4 n u c l e i ? N o i t ’s n o t
p o s s i b l e a n d t h e d e c a y r at e i n c r e a s e s a s p o p u l a ti o n
increases.

10) G u e s s t h e a g e ( u s i n g e q u a ti o n 2) o f e a c h o f t h e
samples shown in the applet and measure their age
directly using the cursor and record your answers in the
table given below.
 Isotope used
Object % of Original Guessed Age Measured Age
C-12/U-238

SURFACE

Animal Skull C-12 98.2 150 150

House C-12 99.1 75 75

Dead Tree C-12 97.4 243 243

STRATA 1

Bone C-12 83.9 1451 1451

Wooden Cup C-12 88.2 1037 1037

1st human skull C-12 76.6 2203 2203

STRATA 2

2nd human skull C-12 .8 39913 39913

Fish Bones C-12 14.4 16020 16020

STRATA 3

Fish Fossil 1 U-238 0 136867980 136867980

Rock 1 U-238 97.9 136867980 136867980

Dinosaur Skull U-238 0 136867980 136867980

STRATA 4

Rock 2 U-238 96 263254790 263254790

Trilobite U-238 0

STRATA 5

Rock 3 U-238 93.3 447228031 447228031

Rock 4 U-238 89.4 722590087 722590087

Rock 5 U-238 82.3 1256229419 1256229419