Nuclear fissionReaction that splits an atomic nucleusInduced fission reaction. A neutron is absorbed by a uranium-235 nucleus, turning it briefly into an excited uranium-236 nucleus, with the excitation energy provided by the kinetic energy of the neutron plus the forces that bind the neutron.
ProtonA proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol p, H, or H with a positive electric charge of +1 e (elementary charge). Its mass is slightly less than the mass of a neutron and approximately 1836 times the mass of an electron (the proton-to-electron mass ratio). Protons and neutrons, each with a mass of approximately one dalton, are jointly referred to as nucleons (particles present in atomic nuclei). One or more protons are present in the nucleus of every atom.
Atomic nucleusThe atomic nucleus is the small, dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom, discovered in 1911 by Ernest Rutherford at the University of Manchester based on the 1909 Geiger–Marsden gold foil experiment. After the discovery of the neutron in 1932, models for a nucleus composed of protons and neutrons were quickly developed by Dmitri Ivanenko and Werner Heisenberg.Subatomic particleIn physics, a subatomic particle is a particle smaller than an atom. According to the Standard Model of particle physics, a subatomic particle can be a composite particle or an elementary particle. A composite particle, such as a proton or a neutron, is composed of other particles, while an elementary particle, such as an electron, is not composed of any substructure. Particle physics and nuclear physics study these particles and how they interact.
Nuclear reactorDevice for controlled nuclear reactionsFrom top, left to right Chicago Pile-1, the first artificial nuclear reactorShippingport Atomic Power Station, the first peacetime reactorHTR-10, a prototype to the first Generation IV reactor, HTR-PMThe Convair NB-36H, the first aircraft to test an onboard reactorOperation Sea Orbit, the first nuclear-powered surface vessel circumnavigationThe Chernobyl sarcophagus, built to contain the effects of the 1986 disasterA nuclear reactor is a device used to sustain a controlled fissionnuclear chain reaction.
Nuclear weaponFor other uses, see Nuke (other).From top, left to right MIRV design of modern ICBM nuclear warheadsSubmarine-launched ballistic missile test, a standard nuclear warhead delivery optionFat Man nuclear bomb in Tinian before use on NagasakiCloud following atomic bombing of NagasakiF-35 drops a dummy B61 nuclear bomb during testingAssortment of US nuclear ICBMsA nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear explosion.
Discovery of the neutronThe discovery of the neutron and its properties was central to the extraordinary developments in atomic physics in the first half of the 20th century. Early in the century, Ernest Rutherford used alpha particle scattering to discover that an atom has its mass and electric charge concentrated in a tiny nucleus.
Electric chargeElectric charge (symbol q, sometimes Q) is a physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. Electric charge can be positive or negative. Like charges repel each other and unlike charges attract each other. An object with no net charge is referred to as electrically neutral.
Trinity (nuclear test)Trinity was the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, conducted by the United States Army at 5:29 a.m. Mountain War Time (11:29:21 GMT) on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. The test was of an implosion-designplutonium bomb, or "gadget" – the same design as the Fat Man bomb later detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. Concerns about whether the complex Fat Man design would work led to a decision to conduct the first nuclear test.
Chicago Pile-1Chicago Pile-1 (CP-1) was the first artificial nuclear reactor. On 2 December 1942, the first human-made self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was initiated in CP-1 during an experiment led by Enrico Fermi. The secret development of the reactor was the first major technical achievement for the Manhattan Project, the Allied effort to create nuclear weapons during World War II.
James ChadwickSir James Chadwick (20 October 1891 – 24 July 1974) was a British experimental physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1935 for his discovery of the neutron. In 1941, he wrote the final draft of the MAUD Report, which inspired the U.S. government to begin serious atomic bomb research efforts. He was the head of the British team that worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He was knighted in Britain in 1945 for his achievements in nuclear physics.
MassAmount of matter present in an objectMass is an intrinsic physical quantity of a body which in modern physics is generally defined as the strength of an object's gravitational attraction to other bodies. The unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) is the kilogram (kg). Mass can also be understood as a measure of the energy content of a body (see E=mc²).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.