What is the process of shooting a neutron at an atom called?

• A. Fission
• B. Bombardment
• C. Fusion
• D. Transmutation

Answer: (B)

When you shoot a neutron at an atom, you are irradiating the atom with neutrons, a process called bombardment. Bombardment is the general term for exposing a target to a beam of particles to provoke nuclear reactions. What happens next depends on the nucleus and the neutron’s energy: the neutron might be captured, scatter off, or in some cases induce fission if the nucleus is heavy enough. Fission is specifically the splitting of a heavy nucleus into lighter pieces, which can occur as a result of bombardment but is not the act of firing the neutron itself. Fusion involves light nuclei joining together, and transmutation refers to changing one element into another as a result of a nuclear reaction; both describe outcomes rather than the act of delivering neutrons.