Radioactivity Flashcards

Flashcards about Radioactivity

Radioactivity

The process by which nuclei emit particles and rays.

Transmutation

Conversion of an atom of one element into an atom of another element.

Radiation

The rays and particles given off by a radioactive source.

Antimatter

Matter composed of the antiparticles of the corresponding particles in 'ordinary' matter; matter with reversed charge and parity or going backward in time.

Alpha Decay

An unstable nucleus emits an alpha particle.

Beta Decay

Radioactivity involving the conversion between neutrons and protons.

Cosmic Rays

High energy protons and atomic nuclei that travel through space at nearly the speed of light.

Quarks

Fundamental particles that, along with leptons, make up the building blocks of matter, like up, down, charm, and top.

Leptons

Fundamental, point-like particles not affected by the strong force, but interact through the electromagnetic and weak forces.

Up Quark

A type of quark that makes up protons and neutrons.

Down Quark

A type of quark that makes up protons and neutrons.

Gravity

Acts between all particles of mass, but is extraordinarily weak.

Electromagnetism

Only acts between negatively or positively charged particles.

Strong Nuclear Force

An attractive force that holds quarks together to form protons and neutrons.

Weak Nuclear Force

Force through which certain fundamental particles interact, resulting in some forms of radioactive decay.

Gamma Radiation

A form of electromagnetic radiation with high energy, originating from the nucleus of an atom.

Nuclear Fusion

Nuclei combine to form a nucleus of greater mass.

Nuclear Fission

The splitting of a large nucleus into smaller nuclei.

Half-Life equation

Af=Ai(½)h