Nuclear Chemistry (Chapter 18) Flashcards
Nucleon
referring to a particle in the nucleus
Nuclide
applied to a specific nucleus with a given # of protons and neutrons (AKA an isotope)
Strong Force
attractions between nucleons that binds them together (only acts over small distances)
Quarks
particles that make up protons & neutrons
Flavors of quarks
- Up (+2/3 charge)
- Down (-1/3 charge)
- Top
- Bottom
- Strange
- Charm
Protons contain…
2 up & 1 down quarks
Neutrons contain…
1 up & 2 down quarks
Strong forces are formed by…
down & up quarks attracting each other
Nuclear Binding Energy
energy released when nucleons come together
separate nucleons —> nucleus & lots of energy
Mass defect
the difference between the mass of an atom and the sum of the masses of the atom’s particles (protons, neutrons, electrons)
Small nuclei need an N/P ratio of…
1:1 to be stable
Large nuclei need a N/P ratio of…
1:1.5 to be stable
Nuclei with mass # greater than…
209 are never stable
Nuclei with atomic # > …
83 are never stable
Transmutation
a nuclear reaction where 1 element changes into another
Nuclear fusion
nuclei combine to form an element with a larger nucleus
Nuclear fission
a nucleus splits into at least 2 smaller nuclei
Gain electrons
electron capture
Gain alpha particles
alpha absorption
Gain positrons
Positron absorption
Gain protons
proton capture
Gain neutrons
neutron capture
Gain gamma rays
Gamma absorption
Losing electrons
Beta decay
Losing alpha particles
Alpha decay
Losing positrons
Positron emission
Losing protons
Proton emission
Losing neutrons
Neutron emission
Losing gamma rays
gamma decay
