microscope.png

Microscope

Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

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Rocket

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

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Thermometer

Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter

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Water Wave

Theme C - Wave Behaviour 

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Magnifying Glass Tilted Right

Theme D - Fields

Hey there! Let&#39;s jump into the wild and wacky world of nuclear physics! But fear not, I&#39;m here to guide you through it, step by step, with fun examples and real-world connections. Ready? 🚀

<ul>
	<li>Nucleons: These are the total number of protons and neutrons in a nucleus.</li>
	<li>The neutron, a sneaky little particle with no charge, took a while to discover. Think of it as that friend who always manages to avoid group photos! It wasn&#39;t until 1932 that scientists finally spotted it.</li>
</ul>

Fun Fact: Detecting the neutron was tough because earlier research was obsessed with charged particles. So, imagine trying to spot someone in a brightly colored costume at a party, but the neutron wore all black. Stealthy!

<ul>
	<li>The volume of a nucleus (V) is directly related to the number of nucleons inside it (A)</li>
</ul>

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; V&prop;A

<ul>
	<li>If the nucleus is spherical (imagine a tiny, tiny ball), its volume is</li>
</ul>

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; V = \(\frac 43\)​&pi;R3

<ul>
	<li>This gives us a cool relationship</li>
</ul>

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;R &prop; A\(\frac 13\)

Which means

R = \(R_oA\frac13\)

Where R0​ is the &quot;Fermi radius&quot; and is roughly equal to 1.2&times;10&minus;15m. Think of R0​ as the basic unit of nuclear measurement.

<ul>
	<li>Think of nuclear density as how tightly packed our protons and neutrons are.</li>
	<li>We can calculate it as:</li>
</ul>

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;\(p_n = \frac {mass\ of\ the\ nucleus}{volume\ of\ the\ nucleusρn​}\)

&nbsp; Which simplifies to:&nbsp;\(\frac {3u}{4\pi R^3_0}\)

Where u is the unified atomic mass unit (about the mass of a neutron or proton). Imagine u&nbsp;as a tiny grain of sand representing the basic weight in the nuclear world.

&nbsp;

Did You Know? Nuclear density is roughly 2.4&times;1017kgm&minus;3 which is INSANELY dense! If you could scoop up a teaspoon of nuclear material (not recommended, by the way) it would weigh as much as a mountain!

<ul>
	<li>This experiment helps you visualize nuclear size.</li>
	<li>Think of plasticine balls as nucleons. By sticking them together, we simulate how the nucleus grows in size.</li>
	<li>Steps
	<ul>
		<li>Create uniform plasticine balls.</li>
		<li>Gradually combine them, recording the changes in size.</li>
		<li>Analyze your results using a graph, relating the number of balls (A) to the size of the nucleus (R3).</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

Real-World Analogy: This experiment is like building snowballs. As you pack more snow (nucleons), the snowball (nucleus) grows!

<ul>
	<li>A silver-107 nucleus has a charge of +47e.</li>
	<li>To find the nuclear radius: R =1.2 &times;10&minus;15&nbsp;&times; 107\(\frac 13\)​ = 5.7fm</li>
	<li>When alpha particles collide with it, we need to consider both their sizes to understand the interactions.</li>
	<li>The energy of the collision is 18MeV.</li>
</ul>

Fun Analogy: This is like calculating the energy of two colliding pool balls, but on a super-microscopic scale.

&nbsp;

There you have it! The magical world of nuclear physics, broken down for you. Keep exploring, and remember - the universe is yours to discover! 🌌🔍

Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

Unlocking Nuclear Density: From Nucleons to Rutherford's Discoveries

Table of content

Nuclear Basics

How Big is a Nucleus? 📏

Unlock the Full Content!

Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

Unlocking Nuclear Density: From Nucleons to Rutherford's Discoveries

Table of content

Nuclear Basics

How Big is a Nucleus? 📏

Unlock the Full Content!