PHYSICAL SCIENCE

SECTION ASSESSMENT

1. What did you understand about nuclear reaction? How does it differ from a chemical reaction?

- What I understood about nuclear reactions is that nuclear reactions are processes in which a nucleus either merges
(through nuclear fusion) with another nucleus or separates into smaller nuclei (through nuclear fission). So basically,
nuclear reactions mainly involve the nucleus of a particle, which consists of the protons and the neutrons. However,
in a chemical reaction, it involve only the electrons that are found outside the nucleus. During a chemical reaction,
the electrons may be lost by an atom or gained by another.

2. How do you differentiate fusion from fission?

- Nuclear fission is a process in which a nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei/division of one atom into two.
However, nuclear fusion is a process in which two nuclei join to form a larger nucleus. In other words, nuclear fusion
is the combination of two lighter atoms into a heavier one. Nuclear fission is the exact opposite process wherein a
heavier atom is split into two lighter ones.

3. What were the three stages in which specific group of elements were formed? What specific group of elements
were formed?

- The three cosmic stages wherein specific groups of elements were formed are Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Stellar
Formation and Evolution, and Stellar Explosion. Light elements namely hydrogen, helium, and lithium were produced
in the process of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. H, also known as tritium, is also an isotope of hydrogen formed from big
bang nucleosynthesis. During the stellar evolution, nuclear reactions continued, which produced elements heavier
than lithium (elements from Be to Fe). The light elements combined to form atoms of carbon, neon, oxygen, silicone,
and iron. And lastly, during stellar explosion, huge amount of nuclear energy are produced through neutron capture
and radioactive decay, and other elements heavier then iron (Fe). An example of elements formed during this stage
is that in the s-process of a neutron capture, an example of this process is the formation of Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn)
nuclei from a nickel (Ni) nucleus. In the r- process, it is where Cobalt (Co) is exemplified from Iron (Fe).

4. What were the most common nuclear reactions involve in the formation of elements within the first second and
after the big explosion? Give examples of each type of nuclear reactions.

- The most common type of nuclear reactions involved in the formation of elements within the first second and after
the big explosion were the nuclear fusion and nuclear fission, and radioactive decay. For example in the photo given
at the module, it shows protons and neutrons combining to from deuterium nuclei (containing one proton and one
neutron). Furthermore, it shows the deuterium nuclei fusing with one neutron to produce tritium that will then yield
helium. Subsequent nuclear fusion reactions then continued that resulted in the production of other light elements
and their isotopes wherein few minutes after the big bang. Hydrogen, helium , and lithium were already present.

5. Why did the series of nuclear fusion stopped when iron was formed? Explain in not more than 3 sentences.

- Iron (Fe) is the most stable nuclei, in that case, it is not capable of nuclear fusion. A great mount of energy is
produced in all of the previous reactions, enough to fuel more nuclear reactions. An input of energy is necessary,
however, the star has already exhausted its nuclear fuel at this point to even undergo and produce an element
heavier than iron.

6. What is an isotope? What nuclear reactions were involved in the formation of heavier isotopes?

- Isotopes are atoms of an element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. The
nuclear reactions involved in the formation of heavier isotopes were neutron capture and beta decay process.
7. What isotopes were formed through the S-process? What isotopes were also formed during the R-Process?

- The isotopes that were formed through the S-process, as it was mentioned in the module, is the formation of
Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) nuclei from a nickel (Ni) nucleus. In the r- process, it is where Cobalt (Co) is exemplified
from Iron (Fe).