With reference to the radioactivity, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. Radioactivity is a nuclear property.
2. Hydrogen bomb is prepared on the principle of nuclear fission.
Select

Question

With reference to the radioactivity, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. Radioactivity is a nuclear property.
2. Hydrogen bomb is prepared on the principle of nuclear fission.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Codes :

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — A, Only 1. Statement 1 is true: radioactivity is a property of the atomic NUCLEUS — an unstable nucleus spontaneously emits alpha, beta or gamma radiation, and this happens regardless of the atom's chemical combination or physical state. Statement 2 is false: a hydrogen (thermonuclear) bomb releases its energy by nuclear FUSION of light hydrogen isotopes (deuterium and tritium), not fission. A fission bomb is used only as the trigger to reach the extreme temperature that ignites fusion — so the guiding principle of the hydrogen bomb is fusion, not fission. Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Why the other options are wrong — (b) Wrong — statement 2 is false. The hydrogen bomb works on nuclear fusion, not fission; fission only serves as its trigger. (And statement 1 is in fact true.)  (c) Wrong — statement 1 is correct, but statement 2 wrongly attributes the hydrogen bomb to fission when its principle is fusion.  (d) Wrong — statement 1 is correct: radioactivity is genuinely a nuclear property.

Concept: Radioactivity is the spontaneous disintegration of an unstable atomic nucleus, emitting alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays; because it originates in the nucleus it is unaffected by temperature, pressure or chemical combination — a purely nuclear property. Nuclear energy can be released two ways: fission (splitting a heavy nucleus such as U-235 or Pu-239, used in atom bombs and reactors) and fusion (joining light nuclei such as hydrogen isotopes, the Sun's power source and the basis of the hydrogen bomb).

State PCS 2021 Q23 — Science & Technology PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q23 — Science & Technology PYQ with Answer