Isotopes and Radioisoptopes Flashcards
What is an isotope
Atoms of an element with the same amount of protons but a different amount of neutrons
What does a different amount of neutrons change
The mass
What is a radioisotope
Atoms of unstable isotopes Decay, emitting radiation as their nucleus changes
Said to be radioactive
What does alpha do and look like
He
Proton decreases by 2
Mass decreases by 4
What causes excessive repulsion
Particles are emitted when the nucleus has too many protons
Alpha particles can be blocked by what
Paper
What are beta particles
Negatively or positively charged electrons
What are positively charged electrons called
Positrons
What does the -beta particle result from
The conversion of neutron into protein and an electron
What does +beta particle result from
The conversion of a proton into a neutron
What is a gamma particle
A type of electromagnetic radiation and is very damaging because it can penetrate tissue, organs and bones
Doesn’t result in any changes to the mass number or atomic number of an isotope
What can beta particles be blocked with
Aluminum
What happens with negative beta particle
Proton goes up one
Mass stays same
What happens with positive beta particle
Proton decreases by one
Mass stays same
What happens with gamma particles
No change to nucleus
