unit 3 Flashcards
what does nuclear chemistry deal with
the properties of radioactive substances
what are radioactive characteristics determined by
the behaviour of the nucleus
what is radioactivity
when a unstable nucleus decays releasing radiation and producing a new/more stable element/isotope
what did marie curie discover
the spontaneous disintegration of some elements into smaller pieces
what is the neutron: proton ratio
a certain ratio of neutrons to protons that causes stability in the nucleus
if n:p is over 1.5:1 it is radioactive
what is mass of alpha particle
4
what is charge of alpha particle
2
what is mass of beta particle
0
what is charge of beta particle
-1
what is a gamma particle
waves with no mass and no charge like xrays
what is the mass and charge of the neutron
a mass of 1 and a charge of 0
what is the mass and charge of a proton
the mass is 1 and the charge is 1
what is transmutation
when one element becomes another due to radioactive decay
what is natural transmutation
spontaneous and occurring in nature with no stimulus needed
what is artificial transmutation
when you bombard atomic nuclei with particles in the lab that causes them to become unstable, so they decay into something else. it happens as a result of adding a stimulant to it.
