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Nuclear Weapons and Warfare: Physics 20061, Fall 2005

This document contains 7 questions about nuclear physics and nuclear weapons for a homework assignment. The questions cover topics like isotopes, binding energy calculations, radioactive decay, and fission. Students are asked to compute properties of nuclei, compare nuclear binding energies, calculate activities of radioactive isotopes over time, and convert an energy yield to tons of TNT.

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mohammed1998
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25 views1 page

Nuclear Weapons and Warfare: Physics 20061, Fall 2005

This document contains 7 questions about nuclear physics and nuclear weapons for a homework assignment. The questions cover topics like isotopes, binding energy calculations, radioactive decay, and fission. Students are asked to compute properties of nuclei, compare nuclear binding energies, calculate activities of radioactive isotopes over time, and convert an energy yield to tons of TNT.

Uploaded by

mohammed1998
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nuclear Weapons and Warfare

Physics 20061, Fall 2005


Homework 1

1. Explain the difference between isotopes, isobars, isotones!

2. List the number of protons and neutrons for the following isotopes: 2H, 6Li, 16O, 18O,
19
F, 58Fe, 109Ag, 197Au, 208Pb, 238U

3. Compute the total binding energy and binding energy per nucleon by using the
masses of the nuclei and their proton, neutron constituents

a) 7Li b) 20Ne c) 56Fe d) 235U e) 239Pu

4. Compute the total binding energy and the binding energy per nucleon for the same
nuclei using the semi-empirical mass formula.

5. 1g of Radium (assume pure 226Ra) has an activity of 1Ci which corresponds to


3.7·1010 decays/s. Determine how many atoms of 226Ra are in the 1 g of material.
Determine the decay constant and the half-life of 226Ra.

6. Calculate the total energy contained in 5kg 235U (binding energy) and compare it with
the energy released if you split 235U (Z=92) into two medium mass isotopes 90Sr
(Z=38) and 140Xe (Z=54) plus five neutrons. Give the results in units “tons of TNT”.

7. The radioactive fission product 140Xe is released into the atmosphere. The half-life is
t1/2=14s. Calculate and plot the activity of 140Xe produced in the fission of 5kg 235U at
different times
 At moment of fission (A0(140Xe)),
 2 minutes after the fission event
 2 hours after the fission event,
 2 days after the fission event.

The decay of 140Xe generates radioactive 140Cs (t1/2=64s). How much 140Cs has been
produced 1 minute after the fission event (neglect the decay of 140Cs).

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