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Unit 7: Astrophysics Page 23
get its energy from? The fusion particles, also called gamma rays,
process smacks particles together, are actually electromagnetic
which results in a big release of radiation (photons) of very, very
energy. The core of the sun is high frequency and energy - high
about one million degrees Celsius, enough to damage living tissue.
which the surface temperature is a Fortunately, gamma ray bursts are
mere 15,000 degrees Celsius. The rare and usually not pointed in our
fusion process in the sun takes two direction.
naked protons (also known as a
hydrogen nuclei) and smacks them How Does a Nuclear
together in a special sequence that Reactor Work?
results in the formation of helium.
This complicated reaction is called When people
the proton-proton chain, and think of
occurs in all stars burning nuclear power,
hydrogen in their core. they often
think of
In chemistry, when you combine disaster-type
things together, you get different scenes.
stuff out the other end. For Actually, power plants are very
example, when you mix together similar to coal-burning power
baking soda and vinegar, you get plants. They both heat water into
liquid water and sodium acetate steam, which turn generators. The
precipitate in the cup, and carbon main difference between them is
dioxide bubbles released into the they way they heat the water.
atmosphere. When the core of a Some plants burn fossil fuels (like
star fuses together in a supernova, coal and oil), and nuclear plants
it creates every element on the use the energy from fission
periodic table (yes, even gold!) and (splitting atoms apart) to heat
also spits out high-energy alpha, water.
beta, and gamma particles.
Remember when we talked when
Alpha particles were named long an atom spontaneously undergoes
before we ever knew what they fission, it's called radioactivity?
were. An alpha particle are two Uranium-235 is the perfect
protons and two neutrons stuck example of this kind of atom. U-
together (also known as helium 235 decays naturally by spitting of
nuclei). Beta particles are either an alpha particle or two neutrons
electrons or positrons. Gamma
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