Nuclear Chemistry

Nuclear Chemistry

Chemistry that happens inside the nucleus, no electrons involved

Radioactivity

The spontaneous emission of radiation by an unstable atomic nucleus

• Alpha particles

• Beta particles

• Gamma rays

Strong Nuclear Force

When two atoms combine together, their mass becomes less than the two individual atoms. This is because some of the energy is used to hold the atom together

Electro Static Force

The force trying to pull the protons apart

Radioisotopes

Isotopes with unstable nuclei that emit radiation to attain more stable atomic configurations in a process called radioactive decay

Alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays

Alpha

• helium nuclei

• Stopped by most things

• Weakest and lowest energy

Beta

• Electron

• Has more power, passes through sheets of paper and penetrates skin slightly

• Wood stops it

Gamma Rays

• High energy rays

• Passes through pretty much everything

• Lead and long distance of concrete or dirt will stop it

Radio Decomposition

Alpha decay

• atomic number reduced by 2, mass number reduced by 4

Beta decay

• Atomic number increases by 1, mass number doesn’t change

Positron Emission

• Atomic number decreases by one, mass number stays the same

Half lives

The time it takes for one half of a sample of radio isotope to decay

Discovery of radioactivity

Henri Becquerel

• Discovered that uranium gives off radiation

• Photographic paper in dark experiment

  • It looked like it was exposed to light

• Concluded that there was radiation that was similar to light but blocked by coin

Marie and Pierre Curie

• Concluded that nuclear reaction was taking place within the uranium atom

• Discovered strong nuclear force

Albert Einstein

• Some mass can be converted to energy

  • E=mc²