Nuclear Physics Essay - 1170 Words

The Nucleus of an atom consists of protons, and neutrons. A proton has a charge of positive one while a neutron has no electric charge at all and both have a mass of one atomic mass unit. These two particles are known as nucleons. On the outside of the nucleus electrons can be found. These electrons have a charge of negative one and a mass that is negligible because of how small it is compared to the nucleons. The discovery of the electron showed that the atom might have an internal structure. It was originally thought to be a conglomerate or plum pudding as it was called. But it was soon discovered using the gold foil experiment. Some of the particles were scattered backwards. Because of these results, it was theorized that†¦show more content†¦So after going through alpha decay, the charge and mass of the nucleus has changed, changing the the element itself. ÃŽ ² Beta particles are the negatively charged electrons that are emitted by the nucleus of an atom. Atoms that undergo beta decay do not experience mass changes because the mass of an electron is only a small portion of the atomic mass unit. Because of this, the mass of the nucleus that experiences beta decay only changes by a miniscule amount. Beta decay occurs when neutron changes into a proton. When this happens the number of protons changes which in turn changes the atomic number. ÃŽ ³ Gamma rays are different from alpha and beta decay because they are a type of electromagnetic radiation. Gamma rays are high energy photons. They are similar to visible photons emitted by a light bulb but the wavelength is much shorter. Because of this they have a much higher energy level. The gamma rays are emitted when an atom undergoes a change in the arrangement of the protons and neutrons within the nucleus. The mass number and atomic number do not change when a nucleus emits a gamma ray. Nuclear Reactions When nuclei of atoms come close enough together they can interact and produce a powerful reaction. These reactions can either be endothermic or exothermic. There areShow MoreRelatedNuclear Physics Of The Society Development1374 Words   |  6 PagesNuclear physics in the society development Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions. The most commonly known application of nuclear physics is nuclear power generation, but the research has led to applications in many fields, including nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear weapons, ion implantation in materials engineering, and radiocarbon dating in geology and archaeology. 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