Test 1 Sample questions

1. The Nuclear model of the atom arose from experiments performed in the laboratory of __________.
   The crucial (and surprising) observation in those experiments was:
   
   
   
2. The two radical assumptions of Niels Bohr's great atomic theory of 1913 were: The theory was able to account, in quantitative detail, for the spectrum of the __________ atom.
3. The subject of Nuclear Physics can be said to begin with the 1932 discovery of the __________ in the laboratory of __________.
4. 1. When was nuclear fission discovered, and by whom?
   2. When did World War II start? How did it start?
5. The first nuclear reaction was produced by alpha particle bombardment in 1934. Within a short time, however, this method was largely displaced by the use of neutrons and particle accelerators (``Machines''). What are some of the advantages, and who were some of the people involved in these innovations?
   1. Neutrons
   2. Machines
6. A Chain Reaction is a possible result of uranium fission because:
   
7. The demonstration of a self-sustaining chain reaction in a nuclear reactor (``Pile'') in 1942 was important to the atomic bomb project because:
   
8. The bomb project in the United States and Great Britain benefitted from the contributions of refugee researchers from continental Europe. Among the most prominent were: (Identify or describe each in a few words.) Some key contributors native to the US were: (Identify or describe each in a few words.)
9. Electrons, protons, neutrons

   An isotope of the nickel atom (Ni) is described as having atomic number Z=28 and Mass Number (or Atomic Weight) A=60. What is the number of protons N_p, neutrons N_n, and electrons N_e in such a (neutral) atom?

   N_p = __________

   N_n = __________

   N_e = __________

10. Radioactive Polonium

    The radioactive element polonium (Po: atomic number Z=84) was used in the ``initiator'' for the atomic bomb. The isotope with mass number A=209 has a half-life of about 100 years, and emits an alpha particle. When it decays it turns into a different element.

    What are the numerical values of the Atomic Number and Mass Number of this new element?

    Atomic Number Z=__________

    Mass Number A=__________

11. Fission

    Explain why a heavy nucleus, such as uranium, is susceptible to fission while a middle-weight nucleus, such as iron or copper, is not.

12. Some participants

    Each of the following individuals played a rôle in the development of ``Modern'' and Nuclear physics, and/or events leading toward an atomic bomb. Identify each briefly, and describe at least one important contribution associated with the name.

    1. Marie Curie
    2. Leslie Groves
    3. J. Robert Oppenheimer
    4. Ernest Rutherford