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Nuclear Lab
A friendly, guided tour of fission, fusion, and the energy inside every atom.
Chapter 1 of 813% through the lab
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Chapter 1
Atoms 101
What's a nucleus?
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Buddy says
Before we split or fuse anything, let's see what we're working with. An atom has a tiny dot in the middle called the nucleus. That's where everything we care about happens in nuclear physics. Electrons buzz around the outside — they're important for chemistry, but we can mostly ignore them here.
Build a nucleus
Click the + / − buttons
ProtonNeutronElectron
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Protons (Z)
They decide which element this is.
6
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Neutrons (N)
They don't change the element — but they affect stability.
6
You built
Carbon
Z = 6 · N = 6 · A = 12
The backbone of life.
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What to notice
Equal protons and neutrons. For small atoms, that's the sweet spot.
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Protons = identity
Change the number of protons and the atom becomes a different element. Add one to carbon (6) and you get nitrogen (7).
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Neutrons = stability
Neutrons don't change what element it is, but they glue the nucleus together. Too few or too many → it falls apart.
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The nucleus is everything
The nucleus is ~100,000 times smaller than the whole atom — but it holds nearly all the mass and all the nuclear energy.
Friendly pedagogical lab · not reactor-grade physics