Sure! Here are the answers to your questions based on the principles of nuclear fusion and fission:
Question 1 A)
Which statement is always true when nuclear fusion occurs?
- Answer: The total number of protons and neutrons in each nucleus remains constant.
(This statement is generally true; the total nucleon number (protons + neutrons) remains conserved, although the individual numbers can change.)
Question 2 A)
Which statement best describes the mass numbers of the atoms in the reaction?
- Answer: There are two atoms with mass numbers of 1.
(In the reaction \( ^2_1H + ^2_1H \rightarrow ^4_2H + \text{energy} \), both initial hydrogen nuclei have a mass number of 1.)
Question 3 A)
Which fact is true during a fission chain reaction?
- Answer: The number of freely-moving neutrons increases over time.
(In a fission chain reaction, each fission event typically releases multiple neutrons, which can then cause further fission events.)
Question 4 A)
Which statement describes why the expression is incorrect?
- Answer: A neutron should be expressed as \( ^1_0n \), not \( ^0_1n \).
(In nuclear notation, the mass number (1 for the neutron) goes on top, and the atomic number (0 for neutrons) goes below.)
Feel free to ask more questions if you have any!