What Is Radioactivity Flashcards
Where are the halogens on the periodic table
Group 7
Why is the most reactive halogen fluorine
The reactivity of the halogens decreases as you go down the group because they have more shells further down the group so the atom is gained more easily. Ish
What is an isotope
Atoms in an element which haves the same atomic number but have different mass numbers. So therefore they have a different amount of neutrons. Examples are protium deuterium and tritium.
What are protium deuterium and tritium isotopes of
Hydrogen
Why are some elements radioactive
The nuclei of some atoms is unstable as they do not have the best number of neutrons. In order to be stable they give out ionising radiation (alpha beta or gamma)
What are radioisotopes
Nuclei which give out ionising radiation and are therefore reactive
What happens when a radioisotope emits radiation
It’s nucleus changes and the parent changes to a daughter
Describe an alpha particle
It has 2 protons and 2 electrons. It is the same as a helium nucleus. They cause the mass number to go down by 4, and the atomic number to go down by two.
