Question

QUESTION 1

Calculate the k-factor, to 2 decimal places, for a reactor in which:

3% of the neutrons are fast neutrons which produce a fission in the fuel,

5% of the fast neutrons escape from the reactor,

3% of the slow neutrons escape from the reactor,

29.8% of the neutrons are absorbed in the moderator before becoming thermal,

31.8% of the thermal neutrons get absorbed into the moderator and other material,

Each original thermal neutron produces, on average, 2.08 fissions (some are absorbed instead).

QUESTION 2

A reactor is producing 45,466,601,310,121,392 fissions per second, with an average energy of 194 MeV per fission. What is the power of the reactor in MW? (answer to 1 decimal place, don't include units in the answer, just write the number).

HINT: Don't forget to convert MeV to eV.

QUESTION 3

Calculate the nuclear binding energy of the 7Li nucleus. (The atomic number for Lithium is 3).

Mass (Hydrogen) = 1.0078250321 amu

Mass (neutron) = 1.00866501 amu

Mass (7Li) = 7.0160040 amu

Give your answer in MeV to 5 significant figures (but do not actually write MeV after the answer as you normally would (just give the number).

QUESTION 4

Calculate the nuclear binding energy of the 56Fe nucleus. (The atomic number for Iron is 26).

Mass (Hydrogen) = 1.0078250321 amu

Mass (neutron) = 1.00866501 amu

Mass (56Fe) = 55.9349421 amu

Give your answer in MeV to 5 significant figures (but do not actually write MeV after the answer as you normally would (just give the number).

QUESTION 5

What determines the nuclide of an atom?

a. The number of protons plus the number of neutrons.

b. The number of neutrons.

c. The number of electrons.

d. The number of protons.

Answer 1

1) The power of the reactor is calculated:

P = 45466601310121392 fissions / s * (194 MeV / fission) * (10 ^ 6 eV / 1 MeV) * (1 J / 6.24E18 eV) * (1 MW / 10 ^ 6 W) = 1.41 MW

2) The mass of all the separated particles is calculated:

m particles = m protons + m neutrons = (3 * 1.0078250321) + (4 * 1.00866501) = 7.058135136 amu

Nucleus mass defect is calculated:

Md = m particles - m nucleus = 7.058135136 - 7.0160040 = 0.042131136 amu

The link energy is calculated:

E bind = 0.042131136 amu * (931.5 MeV / 1 amu) = 39.25 MeV

3) The same previous procedure is performed and the results are obtained:

m particles = 56.46340113 amu

Md = 0.5284590346 amu

E bind = 492.25 MeV

4) Option A. A nuclide is determined by the sum of protons and neutrons in a nucleus.

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