Final Exam Objectives

Apply Wien’s displacement law for black body radiation.

Apply Einstein’s photoelectric equation.

Describe the behavior of electrons in terms of deBroglie’s model of matter waves.

Calculate the binding energy of a nucleus.

Identify each of the components of radiation that are emitted by the nucleus through natural radioactive decay and describe the basic properties of each.

State and apply to the solution of related problems, the formula that expresses decay rate as a function of decay constant and number of radioactive nuclei and also apply the exponential formula that expresses the number of remaining radioactive nuclei as a function of elapsed time, decay constant or half-life, and the initial number of nuclei.

From a graph (rectangular coordinates or semi-log) of radioactive decay (e.g., % activity vs. time) determine the approximate half-life.

Write out typical equations to illustrate the processes of transmutation by alpha and beta
decay and make calculations of the kinetic energies involved.

Write out in equation form a typical sequence of events leading to gamma decay.

Write an equation that represents a typical fission or fusion event, describe the sequence of events that occurs during the fission process, and calculate the reaction energy.

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