Scribd
Upload
21 views

At Home Fusion Assignment

Uploaded by

kudzuisglory
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
21 views

At Home Fusion Assignment

Uploaded by

kudzuisglory
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Name: ____________________________________ Period: ___________

Fusion: The Building Blocks of the Elements


Question:
What is fusion and how does it occur in stars?
Introduction:
 Fusion occurs inside the core of our sun.
 Fusion is combining the nuclei of elements to produce a different element.
 Fusion inside a star is what makes the first 26 elements of the periodic table.
 The remainder of the elements are created by supernova.
 Throughout its life, a star generates new elements by fusing atoms together in its core.
 Stars are mostly hydrogen and helium.

☐ Fusion: Two or more atomic nuclei join to form a new type of atomic nucleus.

☐ Supernova: The explosion of a star.

☐ Element: Substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances. Each element is
distinguished by its atomic number, i.e., the number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms.
☐ Atoms: The basic unit of a chemical element.
Materials:
Marshmallows
Macaroni Noodles
(If you do not have these things at home just image that you did, or substitute something
else.)

Procedure/Test and Questions:


1. The number of protons an atom has in its nucleus
determines what kind of element it is. Hydrogen has one
proton in its nucleus. The atomic number of each element is
contained on the periodic table in the upper left hand
corner. The atomic number represents how many protons
are in each element’s nucleus.
2. Each marshmallow represents 1 proton. (Again, if you do
not have marshmallows at home just use your imagination or substitute marshmallows with
something else.

How many hydrogen atoms does 1 marshmallow represent? _________________


How many protons does Ca (Calcium) contain in its nucleus? _________________
How many marshmallows would you need to make a Ca (Calcium) nucleus? ____________________
How many protons does Au (Gold) contain in its nucleus? ____________________
3. Take 2 marshmallows, one in each hand.
4. How many hydrogen atoms do you have? ________________
5. Put your hands together with the marshmallows inside.
6. We’ll pretend your hands are the core of a star. Temperatures are so hot and pressures so
great inside stars that the atoms are moving tremendously fast and crashing into one another.
Sometimes they stick together to make a new element. We call this fusion.
7. Crush the marshmallows together. This is fusion.
The two hydrogen atoms have fused to make the nucleus of what element? _______________ (hint
now you have 2 protons)
8. Now nuclear fusion doesn’t generate just new, heavier atoms. Each time two atoms lighter
than iron fuse, the reaction releases energy in the form of gamma-ray radiation. We’re using
macaroni noodles to represent the released gamma-ray.
9. Set one noodle representing a gamma ray on the table next to the newly fused atom. Do not
put the noodle in the marshmallows. This energy was released not fused.
10. You can now use your helium atom to make other atoms. Smash two helium atoms together.
What atom do you have now? ________________________
Was another gamma ray released? _________
How many gamma rays do you have now? ______________
11. Now smash another helium atom together with the atom you just made.
What atom do you have now? _____________________
Was another gamma ray released? __________________
How many gamma rays do you have now? _______________________
Our bodies are made mostly of Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Oxygen.
Knowing the elements that our bodies are made of, where is the only place these elements could
have been made? ______________________________________
12. Now imagine you smash two carbon atoms together.
What atom do you have now? ________________________________
What was released as you fused the two atoms? _________________________
13. Fusion only occurs up until element number 26, iron. No element can be made inside the
core of a star bigger than element 26.
Why do you think only elements up to 26 can be made within the core of a star? _________________

We have elements over iron (26) on this planet, such as gold, silver, lead, and uranium. How were
those elements made? ________________________________________________________________

Light elements produced Heavier elements formed by Heaviest elements form


in Big Bang nuclear fusion. in supernova

Hydrogen (H) Iron (Fe) Tin (Sn)


Helium (He) Nitrogen (N) Nickel (Ni)
Silicon (Si) Lead (Pb)
Magnesium (Mg) Zinc (Zn)
Sulfur (S)

II. For each of the following elements identify whether it most likely originated from the big bang,
nuclear fusion in stars, or through supernovas

1. Gold (Au): _______________ 4. Carbon (C): ________________

2. Sodium (Na): _____________ 5. Helium (He): _______________

3. Hydrogen (H): ____________ 6. Uranium (U): _______________

III. Draw a diagram to represent each of the following atoms:

1. Oxygen (O) 2. Magnesium (Mg)


IV. Name the element shown by the following drawings:

1. 2.

V. Shade in the following elements on your periodic table with a different color for each group. (Big
bang, fusion of stars, and supernovas) Make sure you label each of these groups (make a key).
The gamma rays that are released when fusion occurs are a form of light energy. Gamma rays are so
intense that our eyes do not see this form of light. In fact, there are many forms of light that our eyes
cannot see.

Let’s think of light as a wave. Like the image below.

When looking at a wave the top of the wave is called the crest and the bottom is called the trough.
The distance from a crest to a crest or a trough to trough is called the wavelength.

Our eyes perceive wavelength as color. The shorter the wavelength the bluer the light appears. The
longer the wavelength the redder the light appears.

Looking at figure 4 below, label which wave would appear red and which would appear blue.

If the wavelength becomes too long or short then your eyes can no longer perceive the light. Gamma
rays are the shortest wavelength light form, then x-rays, ultraviolet, visible light, infrared,
microwaves, and finally radio waves have the longest wavelength. Because all of these light forms fall
on a spectrum of length, we call it the electromagnetic spectrum. Looking at the wavelength of light
below. Tell where each light form should go on the electromagnetic spectrum. (i.e., Where does
gamma go, x-ray visible, so on and so forth.)

You might also like