Nuclear Flashcards
Refers to particles or photons emitted in nuclear decay
Radiation
Any process by which an unstable atom or nucleus spontaneously emits subatomic particles
Radioactive decay
Basically a helium nucleus
Alpha particle
Commonly found during radioactive decay from heavier nuclide
Alpha particle
Net result is to increase the neutron-to-proton ratio
Alpha particle
Can be stopped by paper or skin, not an external hazard
Alpha particle
Least penetrating and the heaviest
Alpha particle
Basically an electron
Beta particle
Can be stopped by an aluminum, more of an internal hazard
Beta particle
Emitted when the netron-to-proton ratio is higher than the zone of stability
Beta particle
Also known as high energy photon
Gamma ray
- an EM radiation emitted by a nucleus in an excited state
- massless and uncharged
- usually a by-product of an alpha particle
Gamma ray
Can be stopped by lead
Gamma Ray
Most penetrating
Gamma ray
An antimatter of electron emitted when the neutron-to-proton ratio is lower than the zone of stability
Positron
- usually accompanied by emission of gamma ray or x-ray
- inner orbital electron is captured by the nucleus to increase proton ratio
Electron capture
Can be stopped by concrete
Neutron
Cannot be accelerated in a particle accelerator
Neutron
Nucleus breaks into 2 or more fragments
Fission Reactions
Nuclei fuse to form a bigger nucleus
Fusion Reactions
High speed projectile chops of a fragment of the nucleus leaving behind a smaller nucleus
Spallation Reactions
Same atomic number but different mass number
Isotopes
Same mass number
Isobars
Same number of neutrons
Isotones
Same difference of neutron and proton or same isotopic number
Isodiaphers
Same number of atoms and same number of electrons
Isosters
Identical atomic and mass number but differing in radioactive decay
Isomers
Nuclei above the belt of stability undergo
Beta emission
Nuclei below the belt of stability undergo
Positron emission or electron capture
Nuclei woth atomic number greater than 83 usually undergo
Alpha emission
System loses mass
Exoergic
System gains mass
Endoergic
True or False
Mass and energy changed in nuclear reactions are much greater than chemical reactions
True
Is the amount of matter that would be converted into energy if a nucleus were formed from initially separated protons and neutrons
Mass defect
- energy released in the formation of an atom from subatomic particles
- is the amount of energy released when the separate nucleons combine to form nucleus
- energy required to separate the constituent nucleons completely into free particles
Binding energy
Number of disintegration per time
Activity
Activity of 1 g sample of Ra-226
Curie
Energy deposited by ionizing radiation per unit mass of material
Absorbed dose
