In a previous article, I recapped the key facts you need to know about atoms. Here we will look at the numerical information you need to remember and the concept of isotopes. The table below lists the essental information you need to know about the three sub-atomic particles; protons, neutrons and electrons. There is an … Continue reading Atoms: Vital Statistics
Revising Atomic Structure
Tucked away inside a website of astronomy resources I have just found a brilliant little tool for revising atomic structure, which is required knowledge for AQA Trilogy (and other) GCSE examinations in both physics and chemistry. You can find it at https://astro.unl.edu/newRTs/nuclei/. The assessment is a two-part, drag-and-drop ranking exercise where you have to rearrange … Continue reading Revising Atomic Structure
Farewell to Hunterston B
As was announced back in August 2020, the second reactor at Hunterston B nuclear power station is being "switched off" today (7th January 2022). Interestingly, one UK newspaper reported this as an "early" closure as the plant's owner, EDF, had originally hoped to keep it running until 2023, but this has to be put into … Continue reading Farewell to Hunterston B
Nuclear Reactor Components
In a highly simplified view of nuclear fission reactors, we can reduce the key elements to just two components that control the chain reaction. Control rods are used to reduce the number of free neutrons and the moderator is used to slow down the neutrons so that they can be captured by other nuclei to … Continue reading Nuclear Reactor Components
Mr Tarrant's physbang 'blog 