| A | B |
|---|
| alpha particle | a helium nucleus |
| beta particle | electron |
| gamma ray | energy |
| nuclear disintegration | nucleus is bombarded with alpha, beta or other particles |
| radioactive decay | decay of unstable nucleus |
| fission | very heavy nucleus breaks down into two medium sized nuclei |
| fusion | two small nuclei combine to make a larger nucleus |
| mass defect | difference between the mass of a nucleus and the sum of the mass of the constituent parts |
| nuclear binding energy | energy that is released when the nucleus is formed from protons and neutrons |
| nuclear chemistry | an element is changed by changing the number of protons or neutrons |
