Nuclear reactions alter the properties of an atom’s nucleus, changing it into a different isotope or element. They can take many forms, including fission and fusion, and release energy. Particles emitted include alpha and beta particles, neutrons, and gamma rays.
A nuclear reaction is a process that occurs when the nucleus of an atom loses subatomic particles to the extent that its properties are altered. The original atom of an element that undergoes a nuclear reaction can become a different isotope, or variety, of the same element, or it can become a completely different element. Nuclear reactions are closely related to radiation in general, which can occur spontaneously outside of a reaction. Radiation simply describes the process of energy or articles emitted by an atom or other particle. The term nuclear reaction, however, usually refers specifically to a situation where the nuclei of two atoms collide and alter the properties of at least one of the nuclei.
A nuclear reaction can take many different forms, each of which gives considerably different results. In a fission reaction, a large and often unstable particle, either spontaneously or following a collision, splits into two different particles. The opposite occurs in a nuclear fusion reaction: two smaller particles collide and their nuclei combine to form a larger particle. Fusion reactions occur naturally in stars, but most human attempts to control them effectively and efficiently have failed. In a spallation reaction, a nucleus is hit with enough momentum to remove several neutrons or protons, thereby reducing the particle’s atomic weight.
Nuclear fission reactions are used in nuclear reactors to produce usable energy. The unstable particles collide and split, generating a significant amount of kinetic and thermal energy. This energy can be harvested from the nuclear reactor and used for human concerns. There is considerable interest in using fusion reactions to generate energy, as they tend to release a significant amount of energy. Unfortunately, fusion reactions are extraordinarily difficult to control: they occur naturally under the high-pressure, high-energy conditions found on stars, and such conditions are very difficult to replicate.
There are several types of particles that are commonly emitted from nuclei during a nuclear reaction. Alpha particles are essentially the same as the nuclei of helium atoms and are made up of two neutrons and two protons bonded together. Beta particles are simply electrons; they have a much smaller mass and a negative charge. Neutrons are also released in nuclear reactions; they are very penetrating because they have a neutral charge so there are few forces preventing them from passing through various substances including human skin. Gamma rays are rays that leave the nucleus in the form of pure energy; they are also highly penetrating and can go through almost anything due to their non-existent mass and neutral charge.
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