Nuclear energy (AI vers.)

What is Nuclear Chemistry?

It is the chemistry of the nucleus.

What does the nucleus of an atom contain?

Protons and neutrons.

What is the Atomic Mass Number (A)?

The total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

What is the Atomic Number (Z)?

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.

How are neutrons calculated?

N (neutrons) = A – Z.

What are isotopes?

Atoms of an element with different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei.

How do isotopes of an element differ?

They have the same atomic numbers but different mass numbers.

What is radioactivity?

The spontaneous decay of unstable atomic nuclei with the emission of ionizing radiation.

What is radioactive decay?

The release of any type of radiation from an unstable nucleus.

What is an alpha particle?

A combination of two protons and two neutrons.

What must be the same on both sides of the nuclear equation for alpha decay?

The total mass.

What is beta radiation?

An electron emitted as a result of the conversion of a neutron to a proton in certain atomic nuclei undergoing radioactive decay.

What conversion occurs during beta decay?

A neutron is converted to a proton.

What is gamma radiation?

A form of electromagnetic radiation emitted by certain radioactive nuclei.

What are gamma rays?

The most energetic form of light produced by hot regions of the universe.

What is half-life?

Time required for half of a sample of a particular radioisotope to decay.

What device can detect and measure radioactivity?

Geiger Counter.

What is radioactive dating?

The method of determining the age of a carbon-containing material based on the rate of decay of radioactive carbon-14.

What is the half-life of Carbon-14?

5730 years.

What is the abundance of Carbon-14?

~0.01%.

What process powers the Sun?

Nuclear Fusion.

What happens in nuclear fusion?

Light atoms collide and break apart to form larger and smaller particles.

What is nuclear fission?

The splitting of a large molecule into two smaller ones.

What is the equation for nuclear fission involving Uranium-235?

23592U + 10n → 14056Ba + 9339Kr + 3 10n.

What is the particle mass of a neutron?

1.009 amu.

What causes nuclear instability?

A combination of atomic structure and neutron/proton ratios.

What is transmutation?

The changing of one element into another as a result of radioactivity.

What are transuranium elements?

Elements that follow uranium in the periodic table and are typically radioactive.

What is a major source of radiation for most people?

Radon, which comes from the uranium decay series.

For stability, what is the neutron-to-proton ratio for light elements?

Protons = neutrons.

What neutron-to-proton ratio is preferred for middleweight elements?

Neutrons > protons.

What is true for heavy elements concerning stability?

All isotopes are unstable.

What is the Uranium Decay Series?

A succession of individual steps where an initial radioactive isotope is converted to a stable isotope.

What is the stable end product of the Uranium Decay Series starting from Uranium-238?

Lead-206 (206Pb).

Which isotopes have atomic numbers less than 84 typically?

They are generally stable.

What happens during the release of energy in nuclear reactions?

Lost mass is converted to energy.

What is noted about the mass of reactants and products in nuclear fission?

Reactants have a higher mass compared to products.

Give an example of consumer uses of radioactivity.

Smoke detectors using Am-241.

What isotope is commonly used for thyroid diagnosis?

Iodine-131 (I-131).

What is the typical decay process of elements in the decay series?

Elements undergo sequential transformations through radioactive decay.

What do the symbols α, β, and γ represent?

Alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays, respectively.

What is essential for balancing nuclear equations?

Conservation of mass and charge.

What is the nature of decay chains in radioactive elements?

They often lead to a stable end product after multiple radioactive decays.