Nuclear Chemistry Notes
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Nuclear Reactions vs. Normal Chemical Changes
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____________ reactions involve the_____________________.
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PROTONS and NEUTRONS are _______________ in the nucleus, releasing a
amount of energy.
tremendous
“Normal” _______________ reactions involve_________________ , not protons and neutrons.
Two Types of Nuclear Reactions
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Fission – nucleus __________ into smaller nuclei to become more stable.
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Fusion – nuclei __________ into one larger nucleus to become more stable.
Uses for Nuclear Reactions
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Fission:
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Fusion:
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Half-Life (Radiocarbon dating):
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Using the known half-life of elements to determine the age of artifacts
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Radioisotope: an _____________, radioactive atom that decays over time to become more stable.
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Half-Life: the amount of ___________ that it takes ________ of a radioisotope sample to decay.
Nuclear Decay
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Elements 1 through 92 occur naturally in the universe
______________: particles & electromagnetic waves released during nuclear decay.
Most radiation comes from the SUN & COSMIC RADIATION.
Nuclear Decay Products
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ALPHA particle: _____
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is a Helium-____ nucleus
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has POOR PENETRATING ability – can be stopped by ______________.
BETA particle: _____
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aka. ______________ or negatron
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has a negative charge
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A NEUTRON emits a negatron and then BECOMES a ______________.
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POSITRON aka. _______________
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has a positive charge
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A PROTON emits a positron and then BECOMES a ______________.
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Both penetrate BETTER than ALPHA particles, but can be stopped by an _______________
sheet.
GAMMA ray: ________
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is a gamma PHOTON.
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has GREAT PENETRATING ability – can ONLY be stopped by ___________ or______________.
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is very DANGEROUS.
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can be released with other forms of decay.
Nuclear Equations
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Nuclear equations must be ____________.
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The sum of the _______________ and the sum of the ___________________ must be the ________ on
both sides of the equation.
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Alpha Decay Reaction
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Mass # Change: decrease by _____
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Atomic # Change: decrease by ______
Beta Decay Reaction
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Mass # Change: _____________
Atomic # Change: increase by ______
Electron Capture Reaction
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Mass # Change: _____________
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Atomic # Change: decrease by ______
Positron Emission Reaction
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Mass # Change: ____________
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Atomic # Change: decrease by _____