nuclear energy.doc

OUR MATERIAL world is composed of many substances distinguished by their chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties. They are found in nature in various physical states—the familiar solid, liquid, and gas, along with the ionic “plasma.” However, the apparent diversity of kinds and forms of material is reduced by the knowledge that there are only a little more than 100 distinct chemical elements and that the chemical and physical features of substances depend merely on the strength of force bonds between atoms. 我们的物质世界由许多物质组成，这些物质由它们的化学性质、机械特性和电的性质区分开来。物质在自然界中以各种各样的状态被发现，有熟悉的固态，液态和气态，还有离子的等离子体态。然而，由于人们已认识到目前仅仅存在100多种不同的化学元素，并且物质的化学性质和物理性质仅仅是由原子间力键的强度所决定，因此物质种类和形式的表面上的多样性可以被归纳简化。 We recall that radiant energy may be released by heating of solids, as in the wire of a light bulb; by electrical oscillations, as in radio or television transmitters; or by atomic interactions, as in the sun. The radiation can be viewed in either of two ways—as a wave or as a particle—depending on the process under study. In the wave view it is a combination of electric and magnetic vibrations moving through space. In the particle view it is a compact moving uncharged object, the photon, which is a bundle of pure energy, having mass only by virtue of its motion. 我们知道，加热的固体可以释放出辐射能，例如在灯泡里的灯丝上，又比如在无线电或电视发射机中的电振荡，或太阳内部的原子相互作用都可以释放这种能量。依据研究的方法，可以用两种方式来看待辐射，即一束波或者一个粒子。从波的角度，辐射可以看作通过空间传输的电磁振荡的混合。从粒子的角度，辐射可以看作一个紧凑的不带电的物体——光子。因为光子只有运动才具有质量，所以光子是一束纯能量。 A COMPLETE understanding of the microscopic structure of matter and the exact nature of the forces acting is yet to be realized. However, excellent models have been developed to predict behavior to an adequate degree of accuracy for most practical purposes. These models are descriptive or mathematical, often based on analogy with large-scale processes, on experimental data, or on advanced theory. 对物质的微观结构和作用力的准确性质的完全认识仍有待于实现。然而，为了实际的用途，能足够精确地预知物质在微观世界行为的模型已经被研究出来。这些模型是描述性的或数学的，基于对大尺度过程的类推、实验数据或先进的理论。 An increase in the temperature of the gas