1. Nuclear Chemistry Chapter 4: Discovering the Secrets of the Nucleus
From a Photographic Mystery to the Atomic Bomb
Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Medicine, and a Nuclear Calendar
Chapter 5: Harnessing the Secrets of the Nucleus ...

2. TEKS
12 (A) describe the characteristics of alpha, beta, and gamma radiation;
12 (B) describe radioactive decay process in terms of balanced nuclear equations; and
12 (C) compare fission and fusion reactions.

3. © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
Figure 4.1

4. Antoine Henri Becquierel.
© 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
Antoine Henri Becquierel. In 1903 he shared a Nobel Prize with Marie and Pierre Curie for the discovery of radioactivity.
Courtesy Culver Pictures, Inc.
Antoine Henri Becquierel.

5. Radioactive Decay Discovered by Antoine Henri Becquerel in 1896
He saw that photographic plates developed bright spots when exposed to uranium metals

6. Types of nuclear reactions
Radioactive Decay – nucleus decays spontaneously giving off an energetic particle
Nuclear Bombardment – shoot a high energy particle at the nucleus of another atom and watch what happens

8. Writing Nuclear Equations

9. Figure 4.4: The components of α rays, β rays, and γ rays.
© 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
Figure 4.4: The components of α rays, β rays, and γ rays.

10. Figure 4.2: The penetrating power of radiation.
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Figure 4.2: The penetrating power of radiation.

11. Figure 5.3: Ionizing power and penetrating power: an analogy.
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Figure 5.3: Ionizing power and penetrating power: an analogy. The truck represents a B particle, and the motor bike represents a y ray.
Figure 5.3: Ionizing power and penetrating power: an analogy.

12. Types of radioactive decay
alpha particle emission
beta emission
positron emission
electron capture
gamma emission

13. Types of radioactive decay
alpha particle emission
loss of a helium nucleus.

15. Problem Pu-239 (plutonium 239) loses an alpha particle (He nucleus)
Problem Pu-239 (plutonium 239) loses an alpha particle (He nucleus). Write the nuclear reaction

16. Types of radioactive decay
beta emission
A neutron splits into a proton and electron which is spit out as a b particle.

17. b particle emission

18. Types of radioactive decay
positron emission
A proton kicks out positive charge (a positron, b+) to become a neutron.
The positron collides with an electron annihilating both and generating energy

19. Types of radioactive decay
electron capture (EC)
an electron (from inner shell) is sucked into the nucleus to combine with a proton – produces a neutron.
gamma emission
emission of energy (photon) from an unstable nucleus.

20. © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
QUESTION
© 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
How does an atom’s atomic number change when its nucleus loses a(n): (a) α particle, (b) β particle, (c)  ray? How does that atom’s mass number change with the loss of each of these?
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21. Pu-239 (plutonium 239) loses an alpha particle (He nucleus)
Pu-239 (plutonium 239) loses an alpha particle (He nucleus). Write the nuclear reaction.

23. Nuclear Bombardment Reactions
Transmutation – changing one element to another by shooting a nuclear particle at its nucleus.
All transuranium elements (more than 92 protons) were created synthetically in particle accelerators.

24. Transmutation Reaction

25. Figure 4.8: A typical fission reaction of U-235.
© 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
Figure 4.8: A typical fission reaction of U-235.

26. © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
Courtesy Shigeo Hayashi
Remains of a building after the explosion of the uranium bomb at Hiroshima, August 6, 1945.

27. Figure 5.1: Schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant.
© 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
Figure 5.1: Schematic diagram of a nuclear power plant.