Stable and unstable nuclei Flashcards

1
Q

What are the protons and neutrons in the nucleus held by?

A

The protons and neutrons in the nucleus are incredibly close and have very strong forces holding them together.

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2
Q

What are radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes?

A

The isotopes of any element that fall outside the “band of stability” will have unstable nuclei. We call these radioactive isotopes or radioisotopes.

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3
Q

What is the radioactive decay process?

A

Unstable nuclei break down spontaneously, emitting different types of radioactive particles or rays until they attain stability. This is called the radioactive decay process.

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4
Q

Is radiation present in the environment?

A

Radiation is present quite naturally in our environment. It bombards us from space in the form of cosmic rays.

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5
Q

Give four examples of where radioactive atoms can be found.

A

In the air we breathe.
In the food, we eat.
In the rocks around us.
in building materials.

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6
Q

What is background radiation?

A

Radiation from natural sources is called background radiation.

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7
Q

Give two examples of artificial radioactive sources.

A

Medical sources.

Nuclear power stations.

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8
Q

How can neutrons become more stable?

A

Decreasing the mass can make the nucleus more stable.

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9
Q

What is an alpha particle(α)?

A

one way the mass can be decreased is by emitting 2 protons + 2 neutrons, a helium nucleus. We refer to this as an alpha particle(α).

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10
Q

What is a beta particle (β)?

A

A nucleus may have too many neutrons. A neutron may split into a positive proton and emit a high-energy electron. This nuclear electron is a beta particle (β).

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11
Q

What is gamma radiation(γ)?

A

Sometimes a nucleus can become more stable by emitting energy that is not a particle. This is a type of electromagnetic radiation known as gamma rays, or gamma radiation (γ).

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