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I understand how fission happens. But what I do not understand is why only a few certain nuclei are actually fissionable/fissile.
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Jamie
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Jamie
mgb_phys said:The stability of the nucleas depends on the ratio of protons to neutrons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope#Nuclear_properties_and_stability.
mgb_phys said:More neutrons only means more stable upto a certian level.
There is a most stable ratio of neutrons/protons which gets slightly larger with larger atoms.
So a small atom with an equal numbe rof protons/neutrons would become very unstable if you added a single neutron. As you get lareger the most stable configuration is a few more neutrons than protons - but if you add more neutrons than this you go off the line in the other direction and make the nucleus less stable.
The exact number to have best stability can be calcuated but the theory (Quantum Chromo Dynamics) is very complicated.
granpa said:adding more neutrons results in a stronger force of attractin holding the neucleus together
granpa said:but it takes energy to produce neutrons which are themselves unstable.
granpa said:allowing a sungle neutron in such a nucleus to decay would cause the nucleus to expand
granpa said:uranium decays by a different process than most. it splits in half. the protons are in 2 shells which simply separate.
Vanadium 50 said:No, it only does this if the nucleus is proton rich. Adding a neutron to a nucleus that is already neutron rich makes it worse.
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granpa said:. don't know what that has to do with what I am saying though.
granpa said:my 'theary' as you call it IS the mainstream view.
granpa said:well I would assume you mean the different masses of the resulting nuclei but that doesn't seem to follow from what you said since I can't see any relevance to anything being discussed.
granpa said:and?
granpa said:my 'theary' as you call it IS the mainstream view.
granpa said:the mainstream view is that there are shells but not 2 shells. my thinking is this. each shell consists of 5 subshells of 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 pairs of protons. totalling 50 protons. one shell is full. the other not quite full. this agrees with most of the magic numbers of the nucleus.
granpa said:you got 2 8 18 32 50 right but it stops there and starts over. the next would be 52 then 58 68 82 100
granpa said:but when my ideas are being so totally misrepresented what can I do?
Only certain particles, such as uranium-235 and plutonium-239, are fissionable or fissile because they have a specific combination of properties that make them suitable for nuclear fission. These properties include a large nucleus, stability against spontaneous fission, and the ability to absorb a neutron and split into smaller fragments.
The stability of a particle's nucleus is the main determining factor in whether it is fissionable or not. Particles with an odd number of protons or neutrons, such as uranium-235, tend to be more unstable and therefore more likely to undergo fission when struck by a neutron.
No, not all particles can undergo fission. Only particles with a large enough nucleus and the right combination of properties can undergo nuclear fission. Additionally, some particles may not be fissionable but can still undergo nuclear reactions, such as fusion.
Fissionable particles, such as uranium-235, are used in nuclear power plants because they can undergo controlled nuclear fission reactions, releasing a large amount of energy. This energy is then used to generate electricity. Fissionable particles are also used in nuclear weapons for their explosive properties.
Yes, there are risks associated with fissionable particles, especially if they are not handled properly. Fission reactions can release large amounts of radiation, which can be harmful to living organisms. Additionally, the radioactive waste produced from fission reactions must be carefully stored and disposed of to prevent contamination of the environment.