Student Name: Ghanati Alshahrani

Reflection Journal: Energy and Matter in Nuclear

Processes

Directions: Answer each “Reflection” question when it appears at the bottom of a lesson
page.

1. What is the strong nuclear force? What does this force have to do with the changes that
occur during nuclear processes?
The strong nuclear force is an attractive force between protons and neutrons as well
as between two neutrons. When the strong nuclear force can no longer overcome
the repulsive electric forces among the protons, the nucleus becomes unstable.

2. Describe how nuclear fusion can contribute to nuclear power, even though fusion
reactions cannot happen here on Earth.
The reaction produced by fusion gives off a large amount of energy. Although
scientists are not able to harness it yet, if they somehow achieve it, the large energy
that is emitted from the reaction can be used to produce electricity. The energy from
nuclear fusion is much more powerful than any other fuel source. With nuclear fusion
nuclear power plants can generate more electricity than before.

3. Why is uranium-235 used as a fuel for nuclear power plants?

When the nucleus of uranium-235 is split, energy is given off in the form of heat. A
large amount of energy is stored within the nucleus of uranium. One kilogram of
uranium-235 can release 2.5 million times as much energy as burning one kg of
coal. Using the heat produced from uranium as a fuel source is much stronger than
other fuel sources. Uranium can generate much more electricity than other fuel
sources and for this reason, is used in nuclear power plants.
4. Explain how each of the three main types of radioactive decay can change the nucleus
of an atom and how radioactive decay could be an issue for nuclear power.
Alpha decay decreases the atomic number of the daughter nucleus by 2 and the mass by 4. In beta
decay, a beta particle is given off. This comes from a neutron being broken down into a proton and an
electron. Gamma decay does not change the atomic number or the mass of the atom; it only changes
the energy in the nucleus. However, gamma decay can cause damage. Radioactive decay can cause
a major issue because--for some types of nuclear fuels--the wastes have half-lives that are thousands
of years old. That means if one had gone through the process of gamma decay it can be very deadly
for humans and leave extremely dangerous nuclear waste. Disposing of this nuclear waste causes an
issue for nuclear power plants.