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2025_11_Atomic_and_Nuclear_Physics_Notes_1

The document covers key concepts in atomic and nuclear physics, including atomic structure, the photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality, binding energy, radioactive decay, and nuclear power. It discusses historical models and theories, such as Rutherford's planetary model and Bohr's assumptions about electron orbits, while also addressing the behavior of particles and waves. Additionally, it explores stellar measurements and evolution, highlighting the processes of fusion and energy release in stars.

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Hasini B
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8 views

2025_11_Atomic_and_Nuclear_Physics_Notes_1

The document covers key concepts in atomic and nuclear physics, including atomic structure, the photoelectric effect, wave-particle duality, binding energy, radioactive decay, and nuclear power. It discusses historical models and theories, such as Rutherford's planetary model and Bohr's assumptions about electron orbits, while also addressing the behavior of particles and waves. Additionally, it explores stellar measurements and evolution, highlighting the processes of fusion and energy release in stars.

Uploaded by

Hasini B
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
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Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

11.1 Atomic Structure and Spectra

How big is the gold nucleus?

As alpha particles are accelerated with greater energy until they do not bounce back.

A voltage of about 5,000,000 V will accomplish this.


Find the distance of closest approach.
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

Using different nuclei, the radius of is determined to be:

Determine the density for 3 different nuclei.

Rutherford/Geiger/Marsden established that the positive


charge was small and in the nucleus.

Rutherford proposed the planetary model.


Problems: electrons should collapse into the nucleus and
atomic spectra.

It was theorized that light came in photons and so


the energy of the emission lines was:
Formula:

The value of the energy levels could be calculated with:


Formula:
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

Bohr’s Assumptions:
Electrons are in orbit.
There are only certain allowable orbits and
energy is not lost in these orbits.
Energy is gained or lost changing orbits as a
photon of light for that energy difference.

Because the orbits were restricted, Bohr assumed the angular momentum must also be restricted.
Formula:

Bohr then determined that this manipulated to give: (See p. 464 for a headache)
Formula:

Erwin Schrödinger solved the problem of why the electrons are restricted to specific orbits.
As we will see next, electrons have wave behaviour. They form standing waves around the
nucleus.

SL E.1 Q 1-4, 6-9


HL E.1 Q 1-9
Chapter end questions
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

11.2 Photoelectric Effect (HL)


Light hitting a metal plate can cause electrons to escape.

This is the photo electric affect.

For classical Physics the problem was that the colour of the
light not its intensity is the main factor determining the
affect.

First we will look at why classical model (wave model) of


light fail to explain this experiment.

Then we will look at the particle model to explain it.

Formulas:
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

E.2 Q 1-4
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

11.3 Wave-Particle Duality (HL)


Louis de Broglie proposed that if waves behaved like
matter then matter could behave like a wave.

momentum Formula (memorize this one!):

What is the wavelength of electrons accelerated by a


10,000 V potential difference?

Electrons from a 600 V source are passed through a double slit


apparatus with a 2µm slit separation.

What is the angle from adjacent maxima? (Assume coherence)

A photon of light conserves momentum in


collisions.

But it is massless and can’t slow down.

Loss of momentum is shown through


change in wavelength.

E.2 Q 5-7
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

11.4 Binding Energy


At high enough energies, the predicted potential energy is not correct.

At small distances (diameter of a proton) there is an attractive force between nucleons (hadrons).

The negative potential energy of the nucleons is manifested as a loss of mass.


Formula:

This mass defect is the energy released when the nucleus forms and the energy required to
separate it.

1/12 of one atom of carbon-12 is defined as the unified mass unit (u)

What is the mass defect of carbon-12?


Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

What is the binding energy per nucleon of Helium-4 nucleus. (4.0015 u)?

Use kg and u to find J and eV.


Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

E.3 Q 1,2
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

11.5 Radioactive Decay


Many atoms can undergo radioactive decay to form a more stable
isotope.

Alpha decay, Beta+ and Beta- are three common decay


processes.
Gamma radiation is from the nucleus but does not involve
any particles.

These are all ionizing radiation. They are detected


through this property.

Uranium undergoes alpha decay as shown. What is the energy


released in this decay?
(238-U = 238.05078826
234-Th = 234.043601
4-He = 4.002602)

What is the speed of the alpha particle? Assumptions?


Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

If the alpha particle does not take all of the energy from the decay
the nuclei can be in an excited state. It will undergo gamma
radiation.

Nuclei also exhibit wave behaviour and the excited state is a higher
energy wave function. It also has levels and discrete amounts of energy
it will emit.

Beta negative decay ß- is the release of an electron from the


nucleus. A neutron is converted into a proton.

The decreased mass from the greater binding energy of the products is
converted into energy.

The electrons do not have enough energy, and they form a


continuous range of energies, not the discrete energies expected.

A small “invisible” particle was postulated to account for the


missing energy.

The neutrino was found 27 years later.


Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

Beta positive decay ß+ is the release of a positron from the


nucleus. A proton is converted into a neutron.

Radioactive decay is a first order process.

λ is the decay constant. It is the probability a specific nuclei


will decay per unit time. (usually in s-1)

A first order relationship has a constant half-life.


Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

A sample of an unknown isotope is measured at 25 Bq. (A becquerel, Bq, is one nuclei decay per
second.) 5.00 minutes later it is at 20 Bq. What is its decay constant and its half-life?

A 1.00 g sample of plutonium-242 has an activity of 7.4 x 107 Bq. If we assume that it is
initially pure, what is its decay constant and half-life?

E.3 Q 10-12
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

11.6 Nuclear Power


Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

For the reaction shown, calculate the energy release.

U-235 = 235.0439299
Ba-141 = 140.914411
Kr-92 = 91.926156

What energy is released per reaction?

For the reaction shown, calculate the energy release


by using the chart.

How much U-235 needs to react per day is a 33%


efficient 300 MW reactor?
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

Critical Mass is required to allow a chain reaction to occur.

Moderator slows down the neutrons so they can be absorbed


by the fuel.

Control Rods absorb neutrons to slow/stop the reaction.

A Uranium sample has a specific energy of


1.2 x 106 MJ/kg.
At what rate does a 600 MW power plant have to consume this fuel if the plant is 35% efficient.

E.4 Q 1-6
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

11.7 Stellar Measurements


Stars undergo fission to produce energy.

How does this diagram show that fusion can be


exothermic?

Stellar distances:
AU - astronomical unit (radius of earth’s orbit).
ly - light year - distance light travels in a year.
pc - parcel - distance (3.26 ly) for a star to have a parallax shift of
one arc second (3600-1 °)

Luminosity is the total power emitted by


the star:
Formula:

The colour is related to the temperature:


Formula:
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

Brightness is how it looks from earth in W m-2.


Formula:

This follows the inverse square law.

E.5 Q 1-13
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

11.8 Stellar Evolution


How do stars start?

If there is enough gas and it gets hot enough (~10 MK) and dense enough it
will undergo hydrogen fusion and reach equilibrium.

A star that is fusing hydrogen (burning) is called a


main sequence star.

Estimates of Luminosity, brightness, and red shift


can be used to estimate stellar distances.

Below ~ 8 M the star runs low on H and collapses


and gets hot enough to fuse He. This expands the
outer surface.
Atomic and Nuclear Physics Notes

Stars above ~ 8 M get hot enough when they run out of He to


fuse heavier nuclei up to forming Fe.

HW: Chapter end questions

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