Nuclear equations

Question 1

mass number

Answer 1

mass number= number of protons + number of neutrons

Question 2

atomic number

Answer 2

atomic number= number of protons

Question 3

number of neutrons

Answer 3

number of neutrons= mass number - atomic number

Question 4

number of electrons

Answer 4

number of electrons= number of protons

Question 5

what is an isotope?

Answer 5

isotopes have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons

Question 6

what does the amount of protons in an element tell you?

Answer 6

what the element is

Question 7

how do unstable isotopes become stable?

Answer 7

by releasing different particles or radiation

Question 8

what are the different types of decay?

Answer 8

-alpha
-beta
-gamma

Question 9

describe alpha decay

Answer 9

-when alpha decay occurs, an alpha particle is released

Question 10

what do alpha particles consist of?

Answer 10

two protons and two neutrons

Question 11

how can you write an alpha particle?

Answer 11

a (4 mass number and 2 atomic number)
or
He (4 mass number and 2 atomic number)

Question 12

describe beta decay

Answer 12

-when beta decay occurs, a beta particle is released

Question 13

what is a beta particle?

Answer 13

a fast moving electron

Question 14

how can you write a beta particle?

Answer 14

e (0 mass number and -1 atomic number)
or
B (0 mass number and -1 atomic number)

Question 15

describe gamma decay

Answer 15

-gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation with a high frequency
-when atoms decay by emitting alpha or beta particles to form a new atom, the nuclei of the new atom formed may still have too much energy to be completely stable
-this energy is emitted as gamma rays

Question 16

what is the energy of gamma ray photons?

Answer 16

gamma rays photons have energies of 1 x 10^-12 J