2: Nuclear Stability and the Chart of Nuclides Flashcards
What is the term that refers to an atom or atoms with a specific number of protons and neutrons?
Nuclide
What is the term for atoms that have combinations of neutrons and protons that are stable and will not spontaneously change?
Stable nuclide
What is the term for nuclides with other combinations that are unstable and will change or transform in an attempt to become stable?
Radionuclides
What is the term for nuclides with the same atomic number (Z), but a different neutron number (N)?
Isotopes
What is the term for nuclides with the same neutron number (N)?
Isotones
What is the term for nuclides that have the same atomic mass number (A)?
Isobars
When specifying small masses related to the atom and its sub-particles, what is special unit that is used?
Atomic mass unit
What is the difference in mass of a nuclide versus the total mass of its individual constituent parts? This mass is converted into energy.
Mass defect
What is the released energy called from mass defect?
Binding energy
What is it called when a heavy element splits into two lighter elements?
Fission
What is it called when two lighter elements come together to form a heavy element?
Fusion
In general, as the size of the nucleus gets larger (more nucleons), the ratio of neutrons to protons in stable nuclides does what?
Increases (N > Z)
Atoms of C-11, C-12, and C-13 would be correctly classified as what?
Isotopes
The energy equivalence of one atomic mass unit (amu) is equal to how many eV?
931.5 MeV
On the Chart of the Nuclides, the horizontal “rows” represent nuclides with the same number of what?
Protons
