Chemistry Cheat Sheet - Heatings & Radioactivity

Flashcards covering key concepts from chemistry notes, including isotopes, radioactivity, nuclear decay types, nuclear forces, fission, and fusion.

Isotopes

Variation in an element.

Radioactivity

Process by which a material gives off unstable rays & particles.

Marie Curie

Discovered radioactivity and disproved Dalton's assumptions.

Radioactive decay

Process where unstable isotopes release energy by emitting radiation.

Alpha radiation

Consists of two protons and two neutrons with a double positive charge (helium nucleus).

Beta radiation

An electron emitted from the breaking apart of a neutron in an atom.

Gamma radiation

A high-energy photon emitted by a radioisotope, considered the most dangerous type of radiation.

Nuclear force

Attractive force that acts between nuclear particles (protons and neutrons).

Stability (nuclei)

Determines the type of decay; refers to elements low in atomic number (

Beta emission

Occurs when there are too many neutrons relative to protons.

Electron capture

Occurs when there are too many protons relative to neutrons.

Positron

A particle with the mass of an electron but with a positive charge.

Radioactive half-life

The time needed for one-half of the nuclei of a radioisotope to decay into stable products.

Half-life duration

Can range from a fraction of a second to billions of years.

Radioisotopes in nature

Used to determine the age of ancient artifacts (e.g., Uranium-238 for dating).

Fission

The process of splitting a nucleus into smaller fragments.

Fissionable Isotopes

Certain isotopes (like Uranium-235 or Plutonium-239) whose nuclei can be bombarded with neutrons to undergo fission.

Uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction

A rapid release of total energy that takes only about half a second.

Nuclear Reactors

Devices that use controlled fission to produce useful energy.

Control rods

Components in nuclear reactors used for neutron moderation and absorption to regulate the reaction.

Nuclear waste

Fuel rods from nuclear power plants are the highest form; reduction with water is a method to manage it.

Fusion

A process where nuclei combine to create a nucleus of greater mass.

Fusion conditions

Requires extremely high temperatures (e.g., 49,000,000 degrees Celsius) and high pressure to occur.