Option D8 Flashcards
What is special about unstable atomic nuclei?
They emit radiation
What does the stability of the atomic nucleus depend on?
Number and type of nucleons present, which vary from isotope to another
What leads unstable nuclei to become stable?
Due to unbalanced forces and excess internal energy
What is the name of the process known to form stable nuclei from unstable ones
Radioactivity
What are unstable nuclei also referred as?
Radionuclides
What is radioactivity?
The emission of energy and particles from the nucleus as an atom decays into a more stable form. The emissions are known as radiation.
What are natural radionuclides?
They occur in the environment in air, water, and soil. They include 235U, 3H, 40K, and 14C. All elements with Z = 84 (Po, polonium) and higher are naturally radioactive, which means they have no stable naturally occurring isotope.
What are induced or artificial radionuclides?
Nuclei that are made to be unstable through
procedures that usually involve bombardment reactions with neutrons or helium nuclei at great speed. Many radionuclides used in nuclear medicine are produced in this way.
What are the protons and neutrons within the nucleus made of?
Quarks that are arranged in sets of three, and changes in
their type gives rise to some forms of radiation
What are antiparticles?
Particles that have equivalent mass but opposite charges
What is an example of an antiparticle?
Positron is the antiparticle of an electron with the same mass but with a positive
charge.
How are gamma rays produced?
When particles and antiparticles collide,
mutual destruction occurs producing gamma rays
What may happen within a nucleus when a radionuclide decays into a more stable from?
-ejection of a neutron
-ejection of a proton
-the conversion of a neutron to a proton by ejection of beta particle
- the conversion of a proton to a neutron by ejection of positron
-release of gamma rays
What happens when there is a change in the number of protons when radionuclide is decaying?
The product is a different element from the parent radionuclide.
What are the main types of radiation?
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma
What is alpha radiation?
the ejection of particles from the nucleus that carry a charge of 2+ and have a mass of 4 atomic mass units. Alpha particles are equivalent to a nucleus of
helium and can be denoted Helium (superscript 4, subscript 2) or alpha sign (superscript 4, subscript 2)
What happens when alpha radiation is emitted?
Emission of an alpha particle causes the mass number of a radionuclide to decrease by
4 units and the atomic number to decrease by 2 units.
What is beta radiation?
The ejection of electrons from the nucleus. They are formed during the
conversion of neutrons to protons, so the mass number stays the same and the atomic number increases by 1 unit. Beta particles are electrons and so have negligible mass
and a negative charge. They are denoted as beta sign (0 superscript and -1 subscript)
What is gamma radiation?
The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves (or photons).
What is radioactivity known as?
Ionizing radiation
Why is radioactivity termed ionization energy?
It has enough energy to interact with an atom and cause the removal of electrons, so the atom becomes ionized.
How can radiation form free radicals?
By the release of electrons, even those which are not found on the outer shell
Why are the ionizing effects of radiation dangerous to living cells.
If came in contact with water, then the free radicals of H and OH would be produced, as well as the breakdown of the double helical structure of DNA
How do the different radioactive emissions differ?
Their ionization density
What is ionization density?
The average energy released
along a unit length of their track
Why do alpha radiations have the highest ionization densities?
Due to their +2 charge and large size, and so produce electrons closer to each other in a small region within cell.
What does the half life of radioactivity determine?
The rate of decay