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    Radioactive Decay

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    Amanda Clay
    This document discusses nuclear reactions and radioactive decay. It explains that the atom consists of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and electrons orbiting the nucleus. There are three main types of radioactive decay: alpha decay which involves emitting an alpha particle (helium nucleus), beta decay which involves a neutron changing into a proton and electron, and gamma decay which involves emitting gamma ray photons to release excess energy after alpha or beta decay. Examples of each type of decay are provided along with nuclear equations to illustrate the process.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Radioactive Decay

    Uploaded by

    Amanda Clay
    723 views26 pages
    This document discusses nuclear reactions and radioactive decay. It explains that the atom consists of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and electrons orbiting the nucleus. There are three main types of radioactive decay: alpha decay which involves emitting an alpha particle (helium nucleus), beta decay which involves a neutron changing into a proton and electron, and gamma decay which involves emitting gamma ray photons to release excess energy after alpha or beta decay. Examples of each type of decay are provided along with nuclear equations to illustrate the process.

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    This document discusses nuclear reactions and radioactive decay. It explains that the atom consists of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and electrons orbiting the nucleus. There are three main types of radioactive decay: alpha decay which involves emitting an alpha particle (helium nucleus), beta decay which involves a neutron changing into a proton and electron, and gamma decay which involves emitting gamma ray photons to release excess energy after alpha or beta decay. Examples of each type of decay are provided along with nuclear equations to illustrate the process.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    723 views26 pages

    Radioactive Decay

    Uploaded by

    Amanda Clay
    This document discusses nuclear reactions and radioactive decay. It explains that the atom consists of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and electrons orbiting the nucleus. There are three main types of radioactive decay: alpha decay which involves emitting an alpha particle (helium nucleus), beta decay which involves a neutron changing into a proton and electron, and gamma decay which involves emitting gamma ray photons to release excess energy after alpha or beta decay. Examples of each type of decay are provided along with nuclear equations to illustrate the process.

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    At a glance
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    The key takeaways are that atoms are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. There are different types of radioactive decay including alpha, beta and gamma decay.

    The three main types of radioactive decay are alpha decay, beta decay, and gamma decay.

    Alpha decay involves emitting an alpha particle (helium nucleus) from the nucleus. It reduces the atomic number by 2 and the mass number by 4. An example is Radon-222 decaying to Polonium-218.

    Nuclear

    Reactions
    Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Decay

    The Atom
    The atom consists of two parts:

    1. The nucleus which contains:


    protons
    neutrons
    2. Orbiting electrons.

    The Atom
    All matter is made up of elements (e.g. carbon,
    hydrogen, etc.).
    The smallest part of an element is called an atom.

    Atom of different elements contain different numbers of


    protons.
    The mass of an atom is almost entirely due to the
    number of protons and neutrons.

    Mass number = number of protons + number of neutrons

    X
    Z

    Atomic number = number of protons

    Element symbol

    X
    Z
    A

    = number of protons + number of neutrons

    = number of protons

    A Z = number of neutrons
    Number of neutrons = Mass Number Atomic Number

    There are many types of uranium:

    235

    238

    Number of protons

    Number of protons

    Number of neutrons

    Number of neutrons

    U
    92

    U
    92

    There are many types of uranium:

    235

    238

    U
    92

    U
    92

    235

    238

    92

    92

    Number of protons

    92

    Number of protons

    92

    Number of neutrons

    143

    Number of neutrons

    146

    Isotopes of any particular element contain the same


    number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons.

    Most of the isotopes which occur naturally are stable.


    A few naturally occurring isotopes and all of the manmade isotopes are unstable.
    Unstable isotopes can become stable by releasing
    different types of particles.
    This process is called radioactive decay and the
    elements which undergo this process are called
    radioisotopes/radionuclides.

    Radioactive Decay
    Radioactive decay results in the emission of either:
    an alpha particle (a),
    a beta particle (b),
    or a gamma ray(g).

    Alpha Decay
    An alpha particle is identical to that of a helium nucleus.

    It contains two protons and two neutrons.

    Alpha Decay

    X
    Z

    A-4

    Y
    He
    +
    Z-2
    2

    unstable atom

    alpha particle
    more stable atom

    Alpha Decay
    222
    226

    Ra
    88

    Rn
    86

    He
    2

    Alpha Decay
    A

    A-4

    226

    222

    X
    Z

    Ra
    88

    Y
    +
    Z-2
    Rn
    +
    86

    He
    2
    He
    2

    Alpha Decay
    222

    Rn
    86

    222

    Rn
    86

    Y
    He
    +
    Z
    2

    218

    Po
    +
    84

    He
    2

    Alpha Decay
    A

    230

    234

    230

    X
    Z

    U
    92

    Th
    He
    +
    90
    2

    Th
    He
    +
    90
    2

    Alpha Decay
    230

    Th
    90

    230

    Th
    90

    226

    Y
    He
    +
    Z
    2

    Ra
    He
    +
    88
    2

    Alpha Decay
    A

    214

    218

    214

    X
    Z

    Po
    84

    Pb
    He
    +
    82
    2

    Pb
    He
    +
    82
    2

    Beta Decay
    A beta particle is a fast moving electron which is
    emitted from the nucleus of an atom undergoing
    radioactive decay.

    Beta decay occurs when a neutron changes into a


    proton and an electron.

    Beta Decay
    As a result of beta decay, the nucleus has one less
    neutron, but one extra proton.

    The atomic number, Z, increases by 1 and the mass


    number, A, stays the same.

    Beta Decay
    218
    218

    Po
    84

    At
    85

    b
    -1
    0

    Beta Decay
    A

    X
    Z

    218

    Po
    84

    b
    -1

    218

    b
    -1

    Y
    +
    Z+1
    At
    +
    85

    Beta Decay
    234

    b
    -1

    234

    234

    b
    -1

    Th
    90
    Th
    90

    Y
    +
    Z
    Pa
    +
    91

    Beta Decay
    A

    210

    b
    -1

    210

    210

    b
    -1

    X
    Z

    Tl
    81

    Pb
    +
    82
    Pb
    +
    82

    Beta Decay
    210

    b
    -1

    210

    210

    b
    -1

    Bi
    83
    Bi
    83

    Y
    +
    Z
    Po
    +
    84

    Beta Decay
    A

    214

    b
    -1

    214

    214

    b
    -1

    X
    Z

    Pb
    82

    Bi
    +
    83
    Bi
    +
    83

    Gamma Decay
    Gamma rays are not charged particles like a and b
    particles.
    Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation with high
    frequency.
    When atoms decay by emitting a or b particles to form a
    new atom, the nuclei of the new atom formed may still
    have too much energy to be completely stable.
    This excess energy is emitted as gamma rays (gamma ray
    photons have energies of ~ 1 x 10-12 J).

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