Nuclear Physics Questions

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Very Short Answers Questions [1 Mark Questions]

Ques. In a nuclear reaction, there is the conservation of which of the following?

1. Energy only
2. Mass only
3. Momentum only
4. Mass, energy, and momentum

Ans. The correct answer is d. Mass, energy, and momentum

Explanation: When two or more atomic nuclei combine, one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles are formed. Mass, energy, and momentum are all conserved in nuclear reactions. Hence, all three are conserved.

Ques. Which of the following is used as a moderator in a nuclear reactor?

1. Heavy water
2. Plutonium
3. Uranium
4. Cadmium

Ans. The correct answer is a. Heavy water

Explanation: In a nuclear reactor, heavy water is used as a moderator. It slows neutrons and has a low probability of neutron absorption.

Ques. What is the reaction responsible for the production of light energy from the sun?

1. Nuclear
2. Fusion
3. Emission
4. Fission

Ans. The correct answer is b. Fusion

Explanation: Protons combine to produce helium nuclei at extremely high temperatures in the interior of the sun, releasing enormous amounts of energy. Therefore, fusion is the process responsible for the production of light energy from the sun.

Ques. What is the energy released in a nuclear reaction called?

1. Q value
2. R-value
3. Nuclear energy
4. P-value

Ans. The correct answer is a. Q value

Explanation: Nuclear reactions release energy because the total mass of the products is less than the total mass of the reactants. This difference in mass is converted into energy according to Einstein's mass-energy equivalence formula, E=mc2. The amount of energy released in a nuclear reaction is called the reaction's Q value.

Ques. What is the source of electrical energy in artificial satellites?

1. Dynamo
2. Solar cells
3. Nuclear fusion
4. Thermopile

Ans. The correct answer is b. Solar cells

Explanation: Solar cells provide electrical energy to artificial satellites.

Ques. Which of the given options has the highest energy?

1. Ultra-violet
2. Infra-red
3. X-rays
4. Visible

Ans. The correct answer is c. X-rays

Explanation: X-rays have the highest energy than infrared, visible light, and ultraviolet. This is because X-rays have shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies than these other types of electromagnetic radiation.

Ques. Which of the elements in the given options are found in India in huge quantities?

1. Radium
2. Thorium
3. Uranium
4. Plutonium

Ans. The correct answer is b. Thorium

Explanation: India has the largest thorium reserves in the world, with over 25% of the global total. Andhra Pradesh has around 35% of India's thorium reserves, making it the state with the largest thorium reserves in India.

Ques. Who among the following has developed a Hydrogen bomb?

1. Samual Cohen
2. A.P.J Abdul Kalam
3. Bernor Bon Bron
4. Edward Teller

Ans. The correct answer is d. Edward Teller

Explanation: Edward Teller is considered the "father" of the hydrogen bomb because he was the first to propose a workable design for the weapon.

Ques. _____ is a nuclear phenomenon that happens due to the decay or disintegration of the atomic nucleus.

1. Radioactivity
2. Nuclear fusion
3. Nuclear fission
4. Nuclear transmutation

Ans. The correct answer is a. Radioactivity

Explanation: Radioactivity is a nuclear phenomenon that occurs as the atomic nucleus decays or disintegrates.

Ques. What are the units of radioactivity?

Ans. Rutherford (rd) and Curie (Ci) are the units of radioactivity.

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Short Answers Questions [2 Marks Questions]

Ques. What is Nulcear Physics?

Ans. Nuclear physics is the branch of physics that studies atomic nuclei, their components, and their interactions, as well as other types of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics is different from atomic physics, which studies the atom as a whole, including its electrons.

Ques. Explain the nature of electromagnetic radiation that nuclear physics deals with.

Ans. Unstable radioactive nuclei (either natural or artificial) emit electromagnetic radiation, just like excited atoms. This high-energy nuclear radiation is called gamma rays. Radioactive nuclei can also emit other particles, such as helium nuclei (alpha rays), positive and negative electrons (beta rays), and neutrinos.

Ques. What is a nuclear fusion reaction?

Ans. Nuclear fusion is a process that occurs when two or more atomic nuclei, usually deuterium, and tritium, combine to produce one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles. The difference in mass between the reactants and products manifests itself as either energy release or absorption.

Ques. What is a nuclear fission reaction?

Ans. Nuclear fission is the process by which the nucleus of an atom breaks into two or more smaller nuclei. Even by energetic standards of radioactive decay, the fission process commonly produces gamma rays and releases a significant amount of energy.

Ques. What is meant by atomic number?

Ans. The atomic number refers to the total number of protons in the nucleus of an atom (which is the same as the number of electrons in a neutral atom). The symbol for atomic number is (Z).

Ques. What is Nuclear force?

Ans. Nuclear forces are the forces that hold the protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus together. They are short-range forces, meaning that they can only act over very short distances.

Ques. What is a neutron?

Ans. The neutron is a subatomic particle that has a neutral charge and a slightly larger mass than a proton. Atomic nuclei are made up of protons and neutrons.

Ques. What is a proton?

Ans. A proton is a stable subatomic particle with a positive electric charge of +1 e and the symbol p, H+, or 1H+. It has a mass that is slightly less than a neutron and 1,836 times that of an electron.

Ques. What is meant by alpha decay?

Ans. Alpha decay is a nuclear decay process that occurs when an unstable nucleus emits a particle made up of two protons and two neutrons. This ejected particle is known as an alpha particle.

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Long Answers Questions [3 Marks Questions]

Ques. What are the characteristics of nuclear force?

Ans. The following are the characteristics of nuclear force

• Nuclear force is the strongest of the four fundamental forces in nature. It is much stronger than the electromagnetic force and the gravitational force.
• The nuclear force is mainly attractive. It holds the protons and neutrons in a nucleus together, even though the protons repel each other due to the electromagnetic force.
• The nuclear force is charge-independent. This means that it is the same between protons and protons, neutrons and neutrons, and protons and neutrons.
• The nuclear force is a short-range force. It only acts over distances of about 1 femtometer (fm), which is the size of a nucleus.
• The nuclear force is an exchange force. This means that it is mediated by the exchange of virtual particles called pi mesons.

Ques. What are the applications of nuclear physics?

Ans. The applications of nuclear physics are

• Nuclear medicine: Nuclear medicine uses radioactive materials to diagnose and treat diseases. For example, PET and SPECT imaging use radioactive tracers to produce images of organs and tissues, while radioiodine and strontium therapies use radioactive materials to kill cancer cells.
• Nuclear energy: Nuclear physics is used in nuclear energy to generate electricity, produce medical and industrial isotopes, and develop new nuclear technologies such as fusion reactors.
• Particle accelerator: Nuclear physics is used in particle accelerators to study the fundamental properties of matter and energy, produce medical isotopes, and modify the properties of materials.
• Nuclear Imaging: Nuclear physics is used in nuclear imaging to produce radioactive tracers that can be used to image organs and tissues, and to detect the radiation emitted by these tracers to create images.

Ques. What are the different types of nuclear forces?

Ans. The different types of nuclear forces are

• Strong nuclear force: The strong nuclear force is the fundamental force that binds quarks together to form protons and neutrons, and the protons and neutrons together to form atomic nuclei. It is the strongest of the four fundamental forces, and it is responsible for the stability of matter.
• Weak nuclear force: The weak nuclear force is a fundamental force that acts between subatomic particles, including those involved in radioactive decay. During beta decay, the weak force causes a nucleus with an excess of protons or neutrons to emit a beta particle and transform into a different nucleus.

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Very Long Answers Questions [5 Marks Questions]

Ques. What are essential points to remember about nuclear physics?

Ans. Protons and neutrons are thousands of times smaller than their parent atom. 

• Nuclear forces strongly attract them to each other. Quantum theory is essential for understanding nuclear structure. 
• Nuclear physics research has opened the path for applications in a variety of sectors. 
• Nuclear weapons, electricity, magnetic resonance imaging, industrial isotopes, radiocarbon dating in archeology and geology, ion implantation in engineering, and so on are all examples. 
• These applications are being researched in the field of nuclear engineering. 
• Particle physics evolved from nuclear physics, and the two fields are usually taught together. 
• The use of nuclear physics in astronomy is essential for understanding the interior processes of stars and the origin of chemical elements.

Ques. What is the importance of the use of beams of particles (electrons or protons) in the field of nuclear physics?

Ans. A significant method of study in nuclear physics is the application of particle beams (electrons or protons) as projectiles against nuclear targets. 

• It is possible to find any resulting particles and nuclear fragments. 
• Their energies and orientations are analyzed in order to reveal the specifics of the nuclear layout and learn more about the powerful nuclear force. 
• A weak nuclear force, on the other hand, is responsible for the production of beta rays. 
• High-energy particle beams are used in nuclear collision experiments. 
• They contain unstable particles known as mesons, which are produced by basic nuclear collisions in facilities known as meson factories (accelerators). 
• The strong force is generated by meson exchange between neutrons and protons. 
• When there is a change in the nuclear charge during collisions and radioactivity leading to nuclear disintegration, the chemical composition of the nuclear target changes.

Ques. What is the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?

Ans. The following are the differences between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion

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