Chapter 25- Nuclear Chemistry Flashcards
radioactivity
the process by which materials give off rays
radiation
the penetrating rays that are emitted by a radioactive source
radioisotopes
the nuclei of unstable isotopes
alpha particle
contains two protons and two electrons and has a double positive charge
beta particle
the result of an electron breaking apart a neuron in an atom (the neutron breaks apart into a proton which remains in a nucleus, while the electron is released)
gamma ray
a high energy photons that are electromagnetic. They have no mass and no electrical charge.
nuclear force
is the attracting force that acts between all nuclear particles
band of stability
the ratio between protons and neutrons( between 1.2 and 1.3)
positron
a particle with the mass of an electron but has a positive charge
half life
the time required for one half-life of the nuclei of a radioisotope sample to decay into products
transmutation
the conversion of an atom of one of its elements to an atom of another element
fission
the splitting of a nucleus into smaller fragments
neutron moderation
a process that slows down neutrons so that the reactor fuel captures them
neutron absorption
a process that decreases the number of slow moving neutrons
fusion
when nuclei combine to create a nucleus of a greater mass
