Lecture on Radioactivity and Kinetics

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering important concepts in radioactivity and kinetics.

Alpha (α) decay

The emission of an α particle from the nucleus, composed of 2 protons and 2 neutrons.

Beta (β) decay

The emission of a β particle (electron) from a nucleus, resulting from the conversion of a neutron into a proton.

Gamma (γ) emission

Occurs when a nuclide in an excited state decays to its ground state with the emission of a γ ray.

Isotope

Atoms of the same element with the same atomic number but different mass numbers.

Nucleons

Collective term for protons and neutrons present in the nucleus.

Radioactive decay

The spontaneous change of an unstable nuclide into another, resulting in a stable nucleus with lower atomic number.

Parent nuclide

The unstable nuclide that undergoes radioactive decay.

Daughter nuclide

The nuclide that results from the decay of the parent nuclide.

Ionization

The process by which an atom or molecule gains or loses an electric charge.

Rate of reaction

The change in the amount of reactant or product per unit of time.

Rate expression

A mathematical expression indicating how the concentration of reactants or products changes over time.

Rate laws

Equations that relate the rate of a reaction to the concentration of reactants.

Half-life

The time required for the concentration of a substance to decrease to half its initial value.

Measurement

The act or process of measuring, which can be simple or complex.

Precision

A measure of how reproducible measurements are when repeated under the same conditions.

Accuracy

The degree to which a measured value is close to the true value or accepted value.

Dilution

The process of reducing the concentration of a solution by adding more solvent.

Serial dilution

A stepwise dilution process where a concentrated solution is diluted multiple times.

Spectrophotometer

An instrument used to measure the intensity of light at different wavelengths in a sample.

Absorbance

A measure of the amount of light absorbed by a substance as it passes through a sample.

Equilibrium

The state in which the conversion of reactants into products occurs at the same rate as the conversion of products back into reactants.

Le Châtelier's Principle

When a system at equilibrium is disturbed, it shifts in a way to counteract the disturbance.

Titration

A technique used to determine the concentration of a substance by reacting it with a known concentration of another substance.

Endpoint

The point in a titration where the reaction is complete, indicated by a color change of the indicator.

Equalibria

State of balance in a chemical reaction, occurring at equal rates for forward and reverse processes.