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| | PHYS1000: The structure of matter: nuclear energy (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-22) |
 | | Any time we add energy to an object, as kinetic energy or potential energy (eg by compressing a spring), it gains mass. |
 | | However, when it comes to atoms, the extra energy is very large, and the mass of an atom is very small, so we can actually measure the change. |
 | | We can't control radioactive decay, and we'd need a very large amount of material to produce a lot of energy, so it's not convenient for power stations. |
| www.physics.uq.edu.au /courses/archive/2004_sem1/phys1000/nuclear_lec.html (256 words) |
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