1. Investigation IV: Subatomic World
Alchemy Unit
Investigation IV: Subatomic World
Lesson 1: Island of Stability
Lesson 2: It’s Greek to Me
Lesson 3: ELEMENTary Education

2. Alchemy Unit – Investigation IV
Lesson 1:
Island of Stability

3. ChemCatalyst
The isotope notation for an atom of copper and an atom of gold are given below.
How could you change a copper atom into a gold atom?
What would you need to change? Give specific numbers.
Why is this change called a nuclear reaction? Cu 63 29 Au
197 79
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

4. The Big Question
What is the range of the number of neutrons found in isotopes of various elements?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

5. You will be able to:
Determine how many neutrons are required to make a stable element with a given number of protons.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

6. Notes Nuclear chemistry is the study of the nucleus of the atom.
The band of stability is the range in the number of neutrons for a given number of protons for isotopes that are found in nature.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

7. Activity
Purpose: Some combinations of neutrons, electrons, and protons are not stable enough to be called elements. This lesson shows you how to predict the numbers of neutrons, electrons, and protons of the isotopes they are likely to find in nature.
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

8. (cont.)
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

9. Making Sense
What kind of generalization can you make about how the number of protons and neutrons are related to each other in the elements?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

10. Notes
Radioactive elements are less stable because the isotope is lost over time as pieces of the nucleus spontaneously emerge.
The concept of isotope stability is highly dependent on time. Atoms that exist for a long time are referred to as stable. Radioactive atoms disappear over time and are referred to as unstable.
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

11. (cont.)
Any isotope that is around long enough to be detected and measured qualifies as an element, but still can be highly unstable and radioactive.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

12. Check-In
Use your graph to determine how many neutrons you would need to make a stable element with 75 protons.
How many neutrons would make a radioactive element with 75 protons?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

13. Wrap-Up
In order for an atom to be considered an element, it has to have a stable nucleus and exist long enough to be detected.
The neutron to proton ratio is an important factor in determining the stability of a nucleus.
Some isotopes are more stable than others. Unstable isotopes undergo nuclear decay to produce atoms with lower mass.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

14. Alchemy Unit – Investigation IV
Lesson 2:
It’s Greek to Me

15. ChemCatalyst
Uranium-238 is used in nuclear reactors to generate electricity. In the nuclear reactor, uranium-238 changes to lead-209.
How can atoms of uranium-238 change into atoms of lead-209?
The nuclear reaction is initiated by colliding the uranium-238 with What do you think this symbol represents? U
238 92 Pb
209 82 n 1
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

16. The Big Question What changes in the nucleus during radioactive decay?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

17. You will be able to:
Predict the result of radioactive decay of an atom.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

18. Notes
A nuclear reaction happens when the nucleus of an atom is unstable and spontaneously decays emitting particles.
There are two types of nuclear decay, alpha and beta. Depending on the type of decay either an alpha particle or beta particle is emitted.
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

19. (cont.)
Chemists use equations like the following one to represent nuclear reactions. Ca 47 20 Sc 21  g + U
238 92 Th
234 90 
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

20. Activity
Purpose: This activity introduces you to two common forms of nuclear decay.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

21. Making Sense
Give a specific example of how a chemist might make gold using alpha decay. Be specific about which isotope of gold is made.
Give a specific example of how a chemist might make gold using beta decay. Be specific about which isotope of gold is made.
Would the isotopes of gold prepared by alpha and beta decay be located in the band of stability?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

22. Notes
Alpha decay and beta decay are two forms of radiation or nuclear decay.
During alpha decay a nucleus is splitting into two smaller elements, one of which is always a helium atom.
Chemists use the symbol (the Greek letter alpha) to represent an alpha particle.
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

23. (cont.)
During beta decay a neutron inside the nucleus of an atom emits an electron. This electron is a part of nuclear decay and therefore comes from the nucleus.
Under certain circumstances each neutron can be further split up into an electron and a proton.
Removal of an electron from a neutron alters the neutron so that it becomes a proton.
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

24. (cont.)
The process of splitting a large nucleus into smaller ones is called nuclear fission.
Besides alpha and beta particles, many radioactive nuclei release energy in the form of gamma rays ( rays).
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

25. (cont.)
The release of a gamma ray causes no change to either the mass number or the atomic number of an atom because a gamma ray has no mass.
Gamma radiation by itself does not change the identity of the atom. However, gamma ray emission usually occurs whenever there is alpha or beta emission.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

26. Check-In
What products do you expect if an atom of actinium-227 undergoes alpha decay?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

27. Wrap-Up
When changes occur in the nucleus of an atom it is called a nuclear reaction.
When an alpha particle is emitted from an atom, the nucleus loses two protons and two neutrons. An alpha particle is the same as a helium atom.
When a beta particle is emitted from an atom, the nucleus gains a proton and loses a neutron. A beta particle is the same as an electron.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

28. Alchemy Unit – Investigation IV
Lesson 3:
ELEMENTary Education

29. ChemCatalyst
The periodic table lists every element after uranium, U, as “human-made” elements.
How are elements made in nature and by scientists?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

30. The Big Question
How are elements formed?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

31. You will be able to:
Explain what it would take to turn one element into another.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

32. Activity
Purpose: The goal of this lesson is to examine the formation of the elements.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

33. Making Sense
Why are the small owls breaking out their digging tools at the end of the comic strip?
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

34. Notes The process of element formation is called nucleosynthesis.
Nuclear fusion is a process that produces bigger elements from smaller ones. It requires extraordinarily high temperatures. At such high temperatures, nuclei are moving so fast that collisions between them can overcome the natural repulsion of their positive charges.
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

35. (cont.)
Heavier elements do not burst into fiery fusion by combination with -particles. They are formed by neutron capture followed by beta decay, among other processes. Nuclei add neutrons until one is converted into a proton and an electron (beta decay). A new element is formed because the atomic number increases by one. This happens in supernova explosions.
(cont.)
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

36. Chemical reactions are ones in which atoms remain unchanged.
(cont.)
Chemical reactions are ones in which atoms remain unchanged.
Revised definition of an element: Stable elements cannot be broken apart into new elements in chemical reactions. It is possible to convert one element into another in nuclear reactions, but this requires a lot of energy for stable elements. Unstable elements undergo radioactive decay, and are broken apart spontaneously.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

37. Check-In
Consider the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to form water.
H O2  2H2O
Name two ways in which a chemical reaction is different from a nuclear reaction.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV

38. Wrap-Up
Elements are converted from one to another in nuclear reactions, but not in chemical reactions.
Nuclear reactions involve the energy of a supernova.
Unit 1 • Investigation IV