Nuclear Stability: Forces in the Nucleus

These flashcards provide definitions and explanations of important concepts related to nuclear stability and forces in the nucleus.

Nuclear stability

A condition in which atomic nuclei remain unchanged over time due to a balance of forces.

Binding energy

The energy required to separate a nucleus into its individual nucleons.

Electrostatic force

A force that exists between charged particles, causing like charges to repel and unlike charges to attract.

Strong nuclear force

The force that holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus, effective over very short distances.

Weak nuclear force

The fundamental force responsible for processes such as beta decay, affecting neutron and proton conversion.

Mass number (A)

The total number of protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus.

Isotope

Variants of a particular chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.

Neutrino

A neutral subatomic particle with a very small mass that is often emitted during beta decay.

Belt of stability

The region in a graph that plots the number of neutrons against the number of protons where stable isotopes lie.

Radioactive isotope

An isotope that has an unstable nucleus and emits radiation as it decays.

Transuranic elements

Elements that have more than 92 protons in their nuclei and are typically unstable.

Radioactive decay

The process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.

Binding energy curve

A graph plotting the average binding energy per nucleon against mass number, indicating stability.

Gamma radiation (γ ray)

High-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted from the nucleus during radioactive decay.

Alpha particle

A type of radiation consisting of two protons and two neutrons, ejected from a radioactive nucleus.

Beta particle (β)

A high-energy, high-speed electron or positron emitted from a nucleus during radioactive decay.

Half-life

The time required for half of the radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay.

Decay chain

A series of decays that a radioactive isotope undergoes until it reaches a stable nucleus.

Parent nucleus

The initial unstable nucleus that undergoes decay.

Daughter nucleus

The resulting nucleus after a radioactive decay process.