Atomic theory 4 Flashcards
Who discovered two new elements from impure uranium salt?
Marie and Pierre Curie
Which new elements did Marie and Pierre Curie discover?
Polonium (Po) and radium (Ra)
What did Marie and Pierre discover Po and Ra from?
From impure uranium salt called pitchblende.
What did Marie and Pierre Curie notice?
That the radiation carried an electrical charge.
Who noticed that while experimenting with uranium that it was giving off some type of radiation?
Henri Becquerel
Henri Becquerel’s timeline
1852-1908
What did Henri Becquerel notice while experimenting with uranium?
He left some uranium on a photographic plate covered with black paper, the area of the photographic plate near the uranium became darker despite the fact that it had not been exposed to any sunlight = some soft of radiation.
Name an instrument that can detect radioactivity.
A Geiger-Muller tube
What does a Geiger-Muller tube do?
Detects radioactivity
What are the SI units of radioactivity?
Becquerel (Bq)
Define radioactivity
Is the spontaneous disintegration of the nucleus with the emission of α, β or γ radiation.
What is the charge on alpha particles?
Positive particles
Structure of alpha particles.
Consist of two protons and two neutrons (hence same as helium nucleus)
Penetrability of alpha particles.
- Not very penetrating
- Stopped by a sheet of papar / 5cm of air
- Strongly ionising
Are alpha particles harmless or dangerous?
Very dangerous
When are alpha particles very dangerous?
If they enter the body through the nose or mouth
What can alpha particles cause if entered through nose or mouth?
Mutations in cells
Give an example of alpha emitter and use.
- Americium-241
- Used in smoke detectors
What is the half life of americium-241?
Over 400 years
Alpha particles symbolised as
He
What is the mass of alpha particles?
4 a.m.u
What is done if an alpha particle is lost and you want to find the new element?
1 Subtract 2 from the atomic number (bottom number)
- Look up new atomic number in periodic table - find new symbol
- Subtract 4 from mass number (top number)
Po ⇾ …………….. + He
Rn
Charge of beta particles
Negatively charged particles
Structure of beta particles
Are high-speed electrons
Penetrability of beta particles
- Moderately penetrating
- Are more penetrating than alpha particles as they are lighter
- 5mm aluminium metal / 500cm of air
Why are beta particles more penetrating than alpha particles?
As they are lighter
Give an example of a beta emitter.
Carbon-14
What is carbon-14 used for?
To find the age of objects in ‘carbon dating’.
Mass of beta particles.
1/1840 a.m.u.
When are beta particles formed?
When there are too many neutrons in the nucleus to be stable.
What happens when beta particles form?
- A neutron changes into protons and an electron.
- The electron is ejected from the nucleus. The ejected electron = beta particle
Beta particles symbolised by
e
Main use of beta particles
To kill cancerous skin cells.
What happens if a beta particle is lost and you want to find the new element?
- Add 1 to the atomic number (bottom number).
- Look up periodic table to find the symbol for the new element.
- Leave the mass number the same (top number)
Example of beta particles.
Pb ⇾ Bi + e
e
0 - top
-1 - bottom
He
4 - top
2 - bottom
Gamma rays charge
Neutrally charged
Gamma rays structure
They are high-energy electro-magnetic radiation.
Name an example of a gamma emitter.
Cobalt-60