232 h are very long. We also learned that if the Q values for the primary alpha

Question

232 h are very long. We also learned that if the Q values for the primary alpha decays of these nuclei were a bit higher, by about 0.2 MeV each (which is very small compare to the binding energy of the alpha particle), it would cause their half life values to decrease by about a factor of 100 each. Consider the hypothetical situation that the half lives of these three nuclei are 100 times smaller than their actual values (for example what if it were 45 million years for 238 U instead of 4.5 billion years?) Discuss the consequences of such a situation on nuclear energy, abundance of heavy nuclei on present day earth and the development of physics in the 20th century.

Explanation / Answer

If half life of these three nuclei is 100 times less than their actual values . It is more obvious that by this time we these three nuclei would have been in so small ratio or may be diminished. In that case our nuclear energy production would be nearly zero .. Without energy electricity production would have not been there . Development would be merely a word . Imagine the situation where we won't have energy to run our basic electrical or electronic devices. Development of Cern or large hadron collider .. everything is based on this energy .. directly or indirectly. So if half life of these atom would have been 100 times lesser we would have been reading 19th century physics today .

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