Nuclear Chemistry Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key concepts from the Nuclear Chemistry lecture, including definitions of terms related to radioactivity, radiation types, nuclear reactions, measurement units, and protection.

Radioactivity

The process by which atoms with unstable nuclei emit small particles of energy called radiation to become more stable.

Radioisotope

An isotope of an element that emits radiation.

Alpha particle (α)

Identical to a helium nucleus, emitted during alpha decay.

Beta particle (β)

High energy electrons emitted during beta decay.

Gamma rays (γ)

Pure energy form of radiation with no mass or charge.

Ionizing radiation

Radiation that strikes molecules, knocking away electrons and forming unstable ions.

Radiation protection

Methods to protect against radiation exposure using materials like paper, lead, or concrete.

Nuclear reaction

A process that takes place through the nucleus of an atom, often represented by an equation.

Alpha decay

When a radioactive nucleus emits an alpha particle, resulting in a decrease of mass and atomic number.

Beta decay

When a radioactive nucleus emits a beta particle, maintaining mass number but increasing atomic number by 1.

Positron decay

When a radioactive nucleus emits a positron, with no change in mass number and a decrease in atomic number by 1.

Transmutation

The process of converting a stable nucleus into a radioactive one by bombarding it with small particles.

Geiger counter

An instrument used to detect beta and gamma radiation.

Curie (Ci)

A unit of radiation activity, equal to 3.7 × 10^10 disintegrations per second.

Becquerel (Bq)

The SI unit of radiation activity, equal to 1 disintegration per second.

Rad

Radiation absorbed dose, measures the amount of radiation absorbed by one gram of material.

Rem

The radiation equivalent in humans, measures biological effects of different kinds of radiation.

Equivalent dose

Measured in millirems (mrem), calculated by absorbed dose multiplied by a biological damage factor.

Radiation exposure

The average annual exposure of a person to natural radioisotopes, estimated at 360 mrem in the U.S.

Dosimeter

A device worn to measure an individual's radiation exposure, especially in laboratories.