Nuclear Criticality Safety: Introduction to Nuclear Criticality Physics
30 Questions
2 Views

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What is the primary objective of Nuclear Criticality Safety?

  • To initiate nuclear chain reactions
  • To develop new nuclear reactors
  • To protect against the consequences of an inadvertent nuclear chain reaction (correct)
  • To generate nuclear energy for industrial use

    • What is the definition of nuclear energy?

  • The ability to do work
  • Force times distance
  • Energy produced by a nuclear reaction (correct)
  • The energy released in a nuclear fission reaction

    • What is the term for the ability of a nucleus to undergo a nuclear reaction?

  • Critical
  • Radioactive
  • Fissionable (correct)
  • Fissile

    • What is the meaning of the term 'criticality' in Nuclear Criticality Safety?

    <p>The point at which a nuclear reaction becomes uncontrolled</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the formula for work?

    <p>Force times distance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the goal of the ANSI/ANS-8.1 standard for Nuclear Criticality Safety?

    <p>To prevent the consequences of an inadvertent nuclear chain reaction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the unit of energy equivalent to the mass of one atomic mass unit?

    <p>931.50 MeV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between the masses of the neutron and the hydrogen atom?

    <p>0.782 MeV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the half-life of a free neutron?

    <p>10.4 minutes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the result of the fission process in a nucleus?

    <p>The nucleus splits into two or occasionally three fragments</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the macroscopic cross section of a sample of uranium metal consisting of only 235U and 238U?

    <p>Σ = N235 σ235 + N238 σ238</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the mass of one atomic mass unit in grams?

    <p>1.6606 x 10 -24 g</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary form of energy carried by the fragments in a fission reaction?

    <p>Kinetic energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the approximate energy released in the fission reaction described in the equation?

    <p>184 MeV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is the mass of a nucleus slightly less than the sum of the masses of its constituents?

    <p>Due to the mass defect or binding energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the graph shown in Figure 1?

    <p>To illustrate the binding energy per nucleon against atomic number</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the energy required to break up a nucleus into its separate parts?

    <p>Binding energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the approximate number of neutrons emitted per fission?

    <p>2.5</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many neutrons are liberated in the fission reaction described in the equation?

    <p>201</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the dependence of the number of prompt neutrons per fission on the energy of the neutrons causing fission?

    <p>ν(E) = ν0 + a*E</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which nuclide has a higher value of ν, 239Pu or 235U?

    <p>239Pu</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the average energy of a neutron from a fission reaction?

    <p>2 MeV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the range of energies of neutrons emitted from fission?

    <p>100 keV to 20 MeV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the distribution that describes the energy distribution of neutrons from fission?

    <p>Maxwellian distribution</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the energy of motion described as?

    <p>Kinetic energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the unit of energy in nuclear physics mentioned in the text?

    <p>Electron volt</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the equivalent of 1 electron volt in joules?

    <p>1.602 X 10^-19 joules</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the energy release from the fission of a 235U or 239Pu nucleus?

    <p>200 MeV</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to the potential energy when you jump down the stairs or out of a window?

    <p>It is converted to kinetic energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What would a 200 MeV 'hotfoot' change the potential energy of a 150-pound man?

    <p>Make him jump very high</p> Signup and view all the answers

    More Like This

    Use Quizgecko on...
    Browser
    Open
    Browser
    Browser