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Chemistry-Physics Notes: Radioactivity alpha & beta radioactive decay nuclear equations
7. What actually happens in alpha, beta and gamma radioactive decay and why? Stability band, decay modes and lots of nuclear equations and production of radioisotopes - artificial sources Doc Brown's Chemistry - KS4 science GCSE Physics Revision Notes Sub-index for this page
RADIOACTIVITY and NUCLEAR PHYSICS INDEX In terms of radioactive sources (radioisotopes, radionuclides) what is alpha decay in terms of nuclear equations? and what is beta decay in terms of a nuclear equation? What happens in the nucleus of unstable radioactive atoms? How do we write nuclear equations to represent these nuclear changes? How do we balance nuclear equations? Why is gamma radiation emitted from atomic nuclei? What is a positron? What is positron emission? How do we make artificial (man-made) radioisotopes? Neutron bombardment of a stable isotope to make an unstable, but useful, radioactive-isotopes Balancing nuclear equations for alpha decay, beta minus decay and beta plus decay. What is a cyclotron? What does a cyclotron do and make? These revision notes on how to construct and balance nuclear equations for alpha emission decay, nuclear equations for beta minus (electron) emission decay, nuclear equations for beta plus (positron) emission decay and emission of gamma radiation should help with IGCSE/GCSE/ chemistry or physics courses and A/AS advanced level chemistry or physics courses. |
Doc Brown's chemistry revision notes: basic school chemistry science GCSE chemistry, IGCSE chemistry, O level & ~US grades 8, 9 and 10 school science courses or equivalent for ~14-16 year old science students for national examinations in chemistry courses on radioactivity Doc Brown's Chemistry Advanced Level Pre-University Chemistry Revision Study Notes for UK IB KS5 A/AS GCE advanced level physical theoretical chemistry students US K12 grade 11 grade 12 physical chemistry courses on radioactivity
Introductory
reminder
notes on atomic structure and radioactivity
![]() AND balancing nuclear equations (1) The emission of an alpha particle or beta particle leads to a change in the composition of a nucleus in terms of protons or neutrons. The emission of a gamma photon does NOT change the composition of the nucleus, it only lowers the energy associated with the nucleus after the radioactive decay has taken place. Gamma radiation often accompanies radioactive decay by alpha particle or beta particle emission. (2) The mode of radioactive decay (emission), i.e. alpha (helium nucleus), beta minus (electron) and beta plus (positron), or not at all for a stable nucleus, strongly depends on the neutron/proton ratio, how high the atomic number is and the energy state of the nucleus.
TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page 7a. What happens overall in Alpha, Beta and Gamma Radioactive Decay?
ALPHA DECAY: Alpha particle emission, helium nucleus emitted
TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page BETA DECAY: beta minus decay, negative electron emitted
TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page GAMMA DECAY - PHOTON EMISSION
TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page BETA DECAY: beta plus decay, positron (positive electron) emitted
TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page Decay by NEUTRON EMISSION
NUCLEAR FISSION and NUCLEAR FUSION equations
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7b. The production of radioisotopes - how to make artificial sources of radioactivity by bombarding atoms with neutrons
TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page ISOTOPE STABILITY CURVE GRAPH and MODES of RADIOACTIVE DECAY (Details NOT required for GCSE students! - just the general idea of a stability band)
(1) Plot of proton number (atomic number) versus neutrons in the isotopes of the elements 1 to 30 (the first point is a neutron with a half-life of 10 mins!). -
(2) Plot of proton number (atomic number) versus neutrons in the isotopes of the elements 1 to 70. Its only above atomic number (proton number) of ~57 you begin to see radioactive decay by emission of alpha particle. -
(3) Plot of proton number (atomic number) versus neutrons in the isotopes of the elements 1 to 102.
23892U =α=> 23490Th =β=> 23491Pa =β=> 23492U =α=> 23090Th =α=> 22688Ra =α=> 22286Rn =α=> 21884Po =α=>21482Pb ... and unstable lead-214 then decays by four beta decays and two alpha particle decays to stable lead-206 ... 21482Pb =β=> 21483Bi =β=> 21484Po =α= 21082Pb =β=> 21083Bi =β=>21084Po =α=> 20682Pb ... the half-lives of theses unstable nuclei range from a few minutes to a few million years, so the overall decay process takes many millions of years! TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page APPENDIX 2 RADIOACTIVE DECAY and QUARKS (NOT for GCSE students!)
TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page APPENDIX 3 Particle accelerators - the cyclotron for making radioisotopes A cyclotron is a compact type of particle accelerator machine by which electrically charged particles (usually positive, often protons) are accelerated outwards from the centre along a spiral path. The particles are held to a spiral trajectory by a static magnetic field and accelerated along circular paths by a rapidly varying (radio frequency) electric field. The target stable non-radioactive isotope is placed in the cyclotron bombarded with a beam of accelerated smaller particle e.g. a proton (a hydrogen-1 nucleus), a process sometimes described as 'proton enrichment'. The protons must be accelerated to enormous speeds to have enough energy to be absorbed into another nucleus, thereby raising the atomic number by 1. After the stable isotopes have reacted with the proton
beam to form radioactive isotopes, these are then taken from the cyclotron, Cyclotrons are a clean nuclear technology with very little radioactive waste. Examples of producing positron emitters for PET scanning in medicine (see uses of radioisotopes) The equations are easy to balance in terms of top left mass numbers and bottom left proton numbers (no complications due to electrons or positrons). The decay equations for (i) to (iii) emitting positrons are given in the beta plus section above.
Important note:
(i) fluorine-18 18F, is made by bombarding oxygen-18 with protons
(ii) carbon-11 11C, is made by bombarding nitrogen atoms with protons
(iii) nitrogen-13 13N, is made by bombarding oxygen atoms with protons
(iv) oxygen-15 15O, is made by bombarding nitrogen with positive deuterons (hydrogen-2)
A cyclotron can be used to produce positron emitting radioisotopes (beta plus emitters) used for PET scanning in medicine. Other uses of particle accelerators
TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page Atomic structure, radioactivity and nuclear physics revision notes index
RADIOACTIVITY multiple choice QUIZZES and WORKSHEETS Easier Foundation Tier Radioactivity multiple choice QUIZ Harder Higher Tier Radioactivity multiple choice QUIZ Worksheet QUIZ Question 1 on RADIOACTIVITY - absorption of alpha, beta and gamma radiation Worksheet QUIZ Question 2 on RADIOACTIVITY - dangers & monitoring ionising radiation levels Worksheet QUIZ Question 3 on RADIOACTIVITY - revision of atomic structure Worksheet QUIZ Question 4 on RADIOACTIVITY - what happens to atoms in radioactive decay? Worksheet QUIZ Question 5 on RADIOACTIVITY - uses of radioisotope and half-life data ANSWERS to the WORD-FILL WORKSHEET QUIZZES Crossword puzzle on radioactivity and ANSWERS! TOP OF PAGE and sub-index for this page |
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