COE 103 L Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory
Module 3
MODULE 3
1. Write the balanced nuclear equations for the following processes:
a) C-14 decays by positron emission 14
6 C → 145 B + e + + v͂
b) Be-7 decays by K capture 9
4 Be + 0-1 e → 93 Li and emitted
. X-ray photon
c) Ra-226 decays by alpha emission 226 Rn
98 → 22286 Rn + 42 He
d) Kr-87 decays by beta emission 226
36 Kr → 37 Rb
87 + e- + v͂
2. Write the complete nuclear reaction including all atomic numbers and atomic
masses for each of the following:
a) U is bombarded with neutron to form 94Sr v͂ and 139Xe plus three
235
neutrons
235 U
92 + 10 n → 9438 Sr + 13954 Xe + 310 n
b) Beryllium-10 plus a neutron, results in the formation of another element
and the release of a proton
10 Be
4 + 10 n →103 Li + 11 H
6
c) Li (n, ? )3H
6 Li ( n, )3 H
108
d) Pd (, p) ?
108 Pd (, p) 111 Ag
3. Identify the following nuclear reaction as to radioactive decay, transmutation,
nuclear fusion or nuclear fission:
235
a) U + 1n = 137Sr + 97 Xe + 2 n + energy
Nuclear fission
b) 1H + 13C = 14N +
Nuclear fusion
c) Ra = 222 Rn + 4 He
Radioactive decay
2
d) H + 2H = 3H + 1H
Transmutation
4. Neptunium-237 undergoes an alpha, beta, alpha, alpha beta (first 5 steps)
sequence of radioactive decays. Determine the daughter nuclide and write a
balanced nuclear equation for each step.
237
93 Np →𝛼→𝛽→𝛼→𝛼→𝛽
93 Np →
237 233 4
91 Pa + 2 He
91 Pa → 92 U + e + v͂
233 233 -
92 U →
233 229 4
90 Th + 2 He
90 Th →
229 225 4
88 Ra + 2 He
88 Ra → 89 Ac + e + v͂
225 225 -
Solve the following:
5. The ha Tlf- life of a radioactive isotope Z is 2 y. How many years would it take a 4.0 g
of sample Z to decay and only 0.3 g of Z remain?
T1/2 = 2y
m0 = 4.0 y
mf = 0.3 y
t=?
+
hl = T1/2 t = hl ( T ½ )
4.0g → 2.0g → 1.0g → 0.5g → 0 .25g → 0.3g
2y (4) = t= 8 years
6. Gold-191 has a half-life of 12.4 hours. What mass of this isotope would remain after 2
days if you started with 15.5 mg of pure gold-191?
T1/2 = 12.4 hours
t = 2 days = 48 hours
m0 = 15.5 mg
+ 12.4 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
hl = T1/2 48 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
= 3.87 = 4
15.5mg → 7.75mg → 3.88mg → 0.19mg → 0.97mg
1
Remaining mass = 15.5 (2)4 = 0.968 mg or 0.97 mg
7. An isotope of Pb-194 has a half-life of 11 minutes. What fraction of the lead-194 atom
in a sample would remain after 44 minutes had elapsed?
T1/2 = 11 minutes
T = 44 minutes
11 1 𝟏
hl= 44 = 4 24
= 𝟏𝟔
8. What type of decay would you expect tritium, 3H to undergo? Write the nuclear
equation for the expected decay.e
3
Tritium = ( 2
H ) →𝛽 = −decay
Atomic num - 1 ploton
Mass num - 3 (1p + 2n)
3
1 𝐻 → 3
2 𝐻𝑒 + 𝑒- + v͂
Expected decay: Beta decay
3 H→ 3He + e- + v͂
