Write short notes on (a) Artificial transmutation (b) Breeder reactor (c) Atom bomb (d) Carbon dating

Artificial transmutation, quite a scientific mouthful, isn't it? Let's break it down. Imagine you have a Lego creation, and you decide to swap out one of the blocks for another—suddenly, it's not quite the same creation anymore. In chemistry, this is similar to what happens during artificial transmutation, but instead of Legos, we're talking about atoms, the building blocks of matter.

By bombarding an atom with particles like neutrons or protons, scientists can make one element magically transform into another. This isn't alchemy; it's physics in action! For example, the alchemist of the atomic age, Ernest Rutherford, used this very process to turn nitrogen, a common gas, into oxygen, the stuff we breathe. It's kind of like a tiny, invisible superhero saving the day by changing villains into friends.

Think of a breeder reactor as a generous baker that gives you more flour every time you bake a cake, thus ensuring you always have ingredients for the next one. This nuclear reactor isn't content just to produce energy; it also 'breeds' more fuel than it eats up!

The recipe includes taking isotopes of uranium or thorium and inviting neutrons to the party so that new, more fissionable isotopes are produced. These fissionable materials can keep the nuclear reaction—and our power supply—going strong. It's like getting your cake and eating it too, and it's a big deal for sustainable nuclear energy.

The atom bomb is something most of us wish was just science fiction. It harnesses the power of fission, where atoms are split apart to release mind-boggling energy. It's what you'd call a 'big bang'—not the cosmic kind, but an explosive force capable of unthinkable destruction.

Picture splitting a tiny atom, like cutting a grain of sand, and releasing the energy of a volcanic eruption. These bombs use radioactive elements such as uranium-235 or plutonium-239, and when they go boom, a chain reaction happens, and the energy unleashed is what causes the explosion. The atom bomb is a testament to human ingenuity—albeit one that we hope for the sake of our world remains contained.

Carbon dating is kind of like a time machine for scientists. It's a nifty tool that can tell us how old a bone, a piece of wood, or even a parchment might be. It all revolves around Carbon-14, a sneaky isotope that mixes with oxygen to get absorbed by living things.

When those living things kick the bucket, they stop absorbing Carbon-14, and it starts to slowly disappear, kind of like the battery on your phone. By checking how much of this carbon isotope is left in a sample and comparing it to stable Carbon-12, we can figure out when the organism said farewell to the world. This technique has unlocked stories from our history and prehistory, keeping the tales of ancient times alive.