Nuclear reaction

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nuclear-reaction

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Nuclear reaction?Early work by Becquerel, Curies, and Rutherford, with fission discovered in 1938
2. What is the primary natural sources?Stellar nucleosynthesis (fusion) and cosmic ray interactions
3. What is the key artificial applications?Nuclear power generation (fission), medical isotope production, and scientific research
4. How do nuclear reactions happen in stars?In stars, nuclear reactions mainly happen through fusion, where tiny atoms combine to make heavier ones, giving stars their light and heat.
5. Why do nuclear reactions release so much energy?Because the strong force that holds the nucleus together is much stronger than the forces that hold atoms together, so when the nucleus changes, a lot of energy is released, millions of times more than burning fuel.

Nuclide: A distinct atomic species characterized by a specific number of protons and neutrons.
Nuclear Transmutation: The conversion of one chemical element or isotope into another through nuclear reactions.
Nuclear Fission: The process where a heavy atomic nucleus splits into two or more lighter nuclei, releasing energy.
Nuclear Fusion: The process where two or more light atomic nuclei combine to form a single, heavier nucleus, releasing energy.