7. (a) Use words from the box to complete the sentences about nuclear fission of uranium-235 (U-235) - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 7 - 2020 - Paper 1
Question 7
7. (a) Use words from the box to complete the sentences about nuclear fission of uranium-235 (U-235).
A neutron hits a nucleus of U-235 and causes the nucleus to __... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:7. (a) Use words from the box to complete the sentences about nuclear fission of uranium-235 (U-235) - Edexcel - GCSE Physics - Question 7 - 2020 - Paper 1
Step 1
a) A neutron hits a nucleus of U-235 and causes the nucleus to
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split.
Step 2
Each fission releases energy, two daughter nuclei and some
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neutrons.
Step 3
b) Calculate the mass of oil needed to generate the same amount of electricity as 1 kg of natural uranium.
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To find the mass of oil needed, we can set up the equation based on the energy produced:
Let 'm' be the mass of oil. Therefore, we can write:
5m=45,000
Solving for 'm':
m = rac{45,000}{5} = 9,000 ext{ kg}
Step 4
c) State one harmful waste product from each process. using nuclear fuel
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radioactive substances.
Step 5
c) State one harmful waste product from each process. burning oil
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carbon dioxide.
Step 6
d) Explain why americium-241 is the best of these three sources to use in this smoke detector.
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Americium-241 emits alpha radiation, which is better for smoke detection as it can ionize air effectively. Alpha particles have a long range and are more easily detected by the smoke alarm.
Additionally, americium-241 has a long half-life of 433 years. This means it remains radioactive for an extended time, providing consistent performance over many years, whereas the other options like actinium-225 have a much shorter half-life of only 10 days, which would not be effective for long-term use.
