Chemistry- Nuclear Decay and Periodic Table

What is Alpha Decay

Identical a Helium Atom

Atomic # decreases by 2

Atomic mass decreases by 4

Beta Emission/Decay

emitted as an electron

Atomic # increases, mass stays the same

Gamma Emission

emitted as a wave

no change in atomic # or mass

Positron emission

emission of a positron (particles with the same mass as electron but opposite charge)

Atomic # decreases by one, no change in mass

Electron/Beta Capture

a proton captures an electron and is transformed into a neutron

decreases # of protons by one

no change in mass

electron is on reactant side

Half Life Formula

m_f = m_i (1/2)ⁿ

m_{f =} final mass

m_{i =} initial mass

n = # of half lives = elapsed time/half life

What is half-life

the half-life of an element is the time needed for half of a radioactive atom to decay. Only half of initial mass will remain

What type of transmutations are reactant side

electron capture, or bombardment

What type of transmutations are on the product side

decay, emit, emission

What are transmutations

the conversion of an atom of one element to an atom of another element through

• radioactive decay

• when the nucleus of an atom is bombarded with certain types of particles (alpha, beta)

What is fission

occurs when a large nucleus is impacted/bombarded by a neutron and splits the nucleus into two or more smaller nuclei

sometimes releases neutrons

What is fusion

occurs when two smaller nuclei collide with a large amount of energy to form a single large nucleus