Nuclear Chemistry Types of Radiation Decay Equations
What is radiation? Energy traveling through medium with enough energy to ionize atoms Ionize – cause to form an ion occurs when an electron is stripped (or "knocked out") from an electron shell, which leaves the atom with a net positive charge
What is radioactive decay? Process where the nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting ionizing particles and emits radiation
What is transmutation? Process in which an atom, called the parent radionuclide, transforms into: – an atom with a nucleus in a different state – an atom with different nucleus containing different numbers of nucleons Either of these products is named the daughter nuclide. The decay process results in nuclear transmutation(creation of an atom of a new element)
Synonyms and Symbols Atom in nuclear chemistry is described as a nuclide – EX. Parent or daughter nuclide Nucleus in nuclear chemistry is described as a nucleon = proton + neutron
Types of Radiation
ALPHA EMISSION Radioactive decay process by which a particle with two neutrons + two protons is ejected from the nucleus of a radioactive atom. The alpha particle is identical to the nucleus of a helium atom.
Alpha Decay Equation
ALPHA PROTECTION ALPHA ABSORBED BY PAPER + SKIN.
BETA EMISSION type of radioactive decay in which a beta particle (electron) is emitted from an atom as nucleus breaks apart
BETA ABSORPTION BETA STOPPED BY METALLIC FOIL AND WOOD.
BETA DECAY EQUATION
GAMMA EMISSION High energy ionizing radiation that is biologically hazardous Produced from radioisotopes when electrons transition from excited to ground state
GAMMA EMISSION VERY DANGEROUS VERY PENETRATING
Radioactive Decay Equations Parent Material Daughter productRadiation Emission
Decay Equations Alpha Decay 240 Pu 236 U + 4 He Beta Decay 234 Th 234 Pa + 0 e Gamma Decay Occurs with others
What is a Half-Life? Time is takes for one half of a sample of radioactive material to decay over time Rate of decay ~ every isotope has its’ own rate of decay SOME ARE SLOW Ex. Uranium 4.5 billion years SOME ARE FASTEx. Radon3.8 days
Half-Life Example Problems There are 3.29 g of iodine-126 remaining in a sample originally containing 26.3 g of iodine-126. The half-life of iodine-126 is 13 days. How old is the sample? If you started with 32 million radioactive atoms, how many would you have left after five half-lives? The radioactive radon-222 has a half-life of 3.8 days. How much of an initial 20.0g sample of radon-222 would remain after 15.2 days? 39 days old 1 million 1.25 g
Fission vs. Fusion