Chapter 19 Nuclear Chemistry Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapter 19 Nuclear Chemistry, including particle types, decay processes, dating methods, and radiation units.

Alpha particles that are identical to

helium nuclei

Beta particles are identical to

electrons

How many neutrons and protons (nucleons) does an atom with the symbol _16³³S have?

33

A radioisotope decays to give an alpha particle and Pb-208. What was the original

element?

Po

As a result of beta decay, the product nucleus is

one atomic number higher than the original element.

What fraction of radioactive atoms remains in a sample after six half-lives?

1/64

Cobalt-60 is a beta emitter with a half-life of 5.3 years. Approximately what fraction of the

cobalt-60 atoms in a particular sample will remain after 32 years?

32/5.2 = 6 half-lives, so also 1/64

The energy released by the sun is the result of

nuclear fusion

Which is the most penetrating of the three types of nuclear radiation?

gamma

Which one of the following statements about fission and fussion is false?

For a fission reaction the mass defect (∆m) is negative, whereas for fusion ∆m is

positive.

Gamma-rays cause radiation damage when they interact with matter by producing

ions and free radicals

The dose unit of ionizing radiation is called the rad. The rad defined in terms of

the energy deposited per gram of an object