Radioactivity Flashcards
What country had the largest percentage of energy from nuclear power in 2004?
France
The number of protons of an element is?
atomic number
Isotopes are distinguished by their?
Mass numbers; neutrons
What is a nuclide?
A nucleus with a specified number of protons and neutrons
Nuclei that are radioactive are called what?
Radionuclides
Atoms containing radioactive nuclides are called?
Radioisotopes
______ are unstable and spontaneously emit particles and electromagnetic radiation.
Radionuclides
Uranium-238 is spontaneously emitting what?
helium-4 particles
Streams of helium-4 particles are also known as?
Alpha particles
The products of Uranium-238 are?
Thorium of atomic number 90 and an alpha particle
The three most common forms of radioactive decay are?
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma
Streams of high speed electrons emitted by an unstable nucleus are?
Beta particles
Iodine-131 undergoes what type of radioactive decay?
Beta
The products of an Iodine-131 decay are?
A beta particle and Xenon.
Gamma radiation consists of?
high-energy photons
What changes neither the atomic mass number nor the mass number of a nucleus?
Gamma radiation
A positron has the same mass as ____ but an _____ charge.
electron, opposite
What is Electron Capture?
The capture of an electron by a nucleus through the surrounding nucleus cloud.
How does Rubidium-83 turn into Krypton-83?
Electron Capture
At close distances a strong force of attraction exists between nuclides called?
nuclear force
Where does the belt of stability end?
83 protons aka all elements with more than 84 protons are radioactive
Nuclides found above the belt of stability often undergo what type of decay?
Beta
Nuclides found below the belt of stability often undergo what type of decay?
Alpha, beta, or positron
These numbers of nucleons (2,8,20,28,50,82) in nuclei are often referred to as?
Magic numbers because they are usually more stable
A nucleus that undergoes a nuclear reaction by being struck by a neutron or another nucleus is called?
Nuclear Transmutations
