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Igcse 74 Particles SMJ
Igcse 74 Particles SMJ
(I)GCSE Physics
Models of the atom
In about 500 BC The Greek
philosopher Democritus
suggested that all matter was made
up of tiny, indivisible particles. The
word ‘atom’ meaning ‘cannot be
cut or divided’
1. Virtually all of the alpha particles went straight through the metal foil.
2. A few alpha particles were deflected through a small angle.
3. About 1 in 10 000 were deflected backwards.
How the results can be explained
atom
1. Deflections occur because there is
a force between a charged
nucleus and the positively charged
alpha particles.
2. Most of the alpha particles do not
go near enough to the nucleus to
be deflected.
3. Backwards deflections occur when
the alpha particles make near
head on collisions with a positively
charged nucleus.
Lord Rutherford
1871 - 1937
How their results supported
Rutherford’s atomic model
1. The relatively small number of
deflections indicates that most of
the atom is empty space with only
a very small nucleus.
2. The backward deflections can
only occur if the nucleus is
positively charged and contains
most of the atom’s mass.
3. The ‘plum pudding’ model would
not produce backward
deflections.
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
According to __________
Rutherford an atom consists of a tiny,
___________
positively charged __________
nucleus surrounded by a cloud of
________
negative electrons. The nucleus also contains most of the
______
mass of an atom.
WORD SELECTION:
Rutherford mass backwards negative
straight positively alpha nucleus
Nuclear fission
Nuclear fission is the
splitting of an atomic
nucleus.
236 144 89 1 0
U Ba + Kr + 3 n + γ
92 56 36 0 0
fission fragments
barium-144 and krypton-89
Other fission examples
Other fission products can be produced. Their masses
usually have a roughly 3:2 ratio.
236 134 90 1 0
U Xe + Sr + 2 n + γ
92 54 38 0 0
fission products = xenon-134 and strontium-90
236 143 91 1 0
U Cs + Rb + 2A n + γ
92 55 37
B Rubidium 0 0
239 145 92
C 1 0
Pu Ba + Sr + 2 n + γ
94 56 38
D 0 0
235
E 131 91 1 0
U I + Y +3 n + γ
92 53
F Iodine 39 0 0
This last example combines the uranium-235 neutron absorption
with the fission of uranium-236
Chain reaction
The fission of a nucleus of
Uranium-235 can be initiated
by a slow-moving neutron.
5. Heat exchanger
Here water is converted into high
pressure steam using the heat
energy of the coolant.
reactor underneath
water coolant
6. Concrete shield
This absorbs the radiation coming
from the nuclear reactor.
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
Nuclear fission is the _________
splitting up of the nucleus of an atom
into two smaller nuclei. Energy, neutrons and _________
gamma
radiation are also emitted.
Nuclear ________
reactors use Uranium _____
235 or Plutonium _____to
239
produce energy by nuclear ________.
fission A controlled chain
reaction is maintained by the use of _______
control rods which
absorb some of the _________
neutrons produced.
An _______
atomic bomb is the consequence of an uncontrolled
chain reaction.
WORD SELECTION:
reactors gamma 239 atomic splitting
neutrons 235 fission control
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is the joining of two atomic
nuclei to form a larger one.