Teacher's notes and answers to questions in the book - Hodder Plus ...

WJEC GCSE Additional Science Teacher’s Notes
20
Nuclear power
Discussion point
There are lots of resources online that show the possible effects of the La Palma mega-tsunami. You might
like to try: www.guardian.co.uk/flash/cumbre_vieja_tsunami.swf
Both of these discussion points are based on student opinion.
1. Do you think that the potential for natural disaster outweighs the need for secure, large-scale, carbonneutral
electricity
You may like to point out that secure, large-scale, carbon neutral electricity need not
exclusively come from nuclear power.
2. Global warming or nuclear disaster – which is worse in your view
Is it a choice between one or the other
_Where does nuclear power come from ____________
(pages 222–23)
Questions
1. Write nuclear equations for the following decays:
a uranium-235,
235
231
92 U , also an alpha particle emitter, decaying into thorium-231, 90 Th .
235
231
92 U 90 Th
4
2
He
b carbon-14,
14
6
C
14
7
14 14
6 C , is a beta emitter, decaying into nitrogen-14, 7 N .
N
0
-1e
2. Use a Periodic Table or a Table of Nuclides (try:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_nuclides_(complete)) to write nuclear equations to determine the
decay product of the following isotopes:
a alpha emitters:
241 237 4
i americium-241 95 Am 93 Np 2He
ii polonium-210
iii radon-222
iv radium-226
210
206
84 Po 82Pb
222
218
86 Rn 84Po
226
222
88 Ra 86Rn
4
2
4
2
4
2
He
He
He
236 232 4
v plutonium-236 94 Pu 92U
2He
b beta emitters:
3 3
i hydrogen-3 (tritium) - 0 1 H 2He
1e
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