Atomic Physics Flashcards
How did Bohr explain spectral lines?
Proposed electrons had to be in special orbits.
What happens to the state of an electron when an atom absorbs a photon?
The electron jumps from one state to a higher one.
What happens to the state of an electron when an atom releases a photon?
The electron drops from one state to a lower one.
What does each line in a spectrum correspond to?
An electron moving from one state to another.
What is the atomic number (Z)?
The number of protons in the nucleus.
What is the neutron number (N)?
The number of neutrons in the nucleus.
What is the mass number (A)?
The total number of nucleons in the nucleus.
What’s an isotope?
Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
Who discovered radioactive decay?
Henri Becquerel
What is the unit of radioactive decay and what does it refer to?
The Becquerel (Bq)
1 Bq = 1 disintigration per second
What does the radiation of a material depend on?
The amount of material.
What is transmutation?
When an element changes into another element.
What is alpha decay?
A large when a large parent nucleus emits an alpha particle.
What is beta negative decay?
A neutron decays into a proton, and an electron and antineutrino are ejected from the nucleus.
What is beta positive decay?
A proton decays into a neutron, and a positron and neutrino are ejected from the nucleus.
