nuclear science library

 

Nuclear science is the study of sub-atomic particles and their application in various disciplines. Here you can learn about nuclear power plants, atomic theory and radiation.

Featured Article:  How Nuclear Radiation Works

Nuclear radiation can be extremely beneficial or extremely harmful -- it all depends on how it's used. Learn what nuclear radiation is all about. See more »

Can people get poisoned by indirect exposure to polonium-210?

Can people get poisoned by indirect exposure to polonium-210?

British authorities have found traces of polonium-210 in at least five buildings and three British Airways jets since Alexander Litvinenko fell ill.

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How Atom Smashers Work

How Atom Smashers Work

Atom smashers tell us about the fundamental structure of matter, the forces holding it together and the origins of the universe. Discover how scientists use particle accelerators to break atoms apart to learn about the nature of reality.

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How Atomic Clocks Work

How Atomic Clocks Work

When the power goes out and is later restored, how do you know what time to set your clocks to? Have you ever wondered how time is regulated? Learn how scientists determine exact time.

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How easy is it to steal a nuclear bomb?

How easy is it to steal a nuclear bomb?

If you watch "24," you might think real-life Jack Bauers stop bad guys from detonating stolen nukes all the time. Just how hard is it to steal a nuclear weapon?

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How Nuclear Fusion Reactors Work

How Nuclear Fusion Reactors Work

Fusion reactors will use abundant sources of fuel, will not leak radiation above normal background levels, and will produce less radioactive waste than current fission reactors. Learn about this promising power source.

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How Nuclear Power Works

How Nuclear Power Works

From The Simpsons' three-eyed fish to widespread political tensions, nuclear power is a much-discussed and often controversial topic. Have you ever wondered how or why we use nuclear power at all? Learn all about the good and the bad that comes with nuclear power plants.

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How Nuclear Radiation Works

How Nuclear Radiation Works

Nuclear radiation can be extremely beneficial or extremely harmful -- it all depends on how it's used. Learn what nuclear radiation is all about.

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How Radiation Works

How Radiation Works

In the comics, radiation exposure turned an average man into a pea green and angry Incredible Hulk. But in reality, what can radiation do to those exposed? Is it always a villain?

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How the Manhattan Project Worked

How the Manhattan Project Worked

Dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended World War II. How did the most powerful weapon in the world get developed? It started with the Manhattan Project.

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How the Nuclear Arms Race Works

How the Nuclear Arms Race Works

The detonation of the world's first nuclear bomb ushered in the atomic age. It also amplified tensions between countries and sparked an era in which nations scrambled for power and seemed headed toward catastrophe.

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Nuclear Power Quiz

Nuclear Power Quiz

Some people think of nuclear power as a threatening menace, while others see it as a long-term source of greener electricity. How's your knowledge on the pros and cons of nuclear energy?

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What would nuclear winter be like?

What would nuclear winter be like?

If the sight of a mushroom cloud burning above the horizon suggests that the nuclear weapon-equipped world might end with a bang, then nuclear winter presents the notion that post-World War III humanity might very well die with a whimper.

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What's a uranium centrifuge?

What's a uranium centrifuge?

Iran has announced its activation of a second set of uranium centrifuges. These machines are at the core of the uranium-enrichment process. Find out where the centrifuge fits into the equation.

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Antimatter

Antimatter, matter composed of antiparticles (subatomic particles with certain properties, such as electrical and magnetic properties, opposite those of ordinary subatomic particles with the same mass).

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Atom

Atom, the smallest part of a chemical element that retains the identity of the element.

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Atoms Quiz

This atoms quiz will test your knowledge about the smallest particles that make up matter. Check out our atoms quiz.

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Brownian Movement

Brownian Movement, or Brownian Motion, the rapid, erratic motion of microscopic particles dispersed in a liquid or gas.

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Cyclotron

Cyclotron, a device for accelerating protons, alpha particles (helium nuclei), and other electrically charged particles to high speeds.

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Electron

Electron, one of the elementary particles that make up an atom. An electron has a negative electrical charge.

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Elementary Particles

Elementary Particles, in physics, the basic components of matter and energy. The study of elementary particles is known as elementary particle physics, or particle physics.

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