Types of Radiation

Open Ended

What are some uses of Nuclear Chemicals?

Open Ended

What do you know about Nuclear Chemistry already?

Chemical Reactions: atoms attain stability by
losing, gaining, or sharing electrons.

Nuclear Reactions: atoms attain stability
through changes in the nucleus.

+

Multiple Choice

What is the equation: $$2H_2\ +\ O_2\ \rightarrow\ 2H_2O$$

• Chemical Reaction

• Nuclear Reaction

Radioactivity: The process by which an unstable
nucleus spontaneously emits high energy
particles or rays from the nucleus in order to
attain a more stable nuclear state

First observed by
Henri Becquerel in 1896

This process is called radioactive decay.

Multiple Choice

Who first observed and tested radioactivity?

• Henry Ford

• Hans Christian Anderson

• Henri Becquerel

• Halle Berry

The density of an average nucleus is 2.3 x 1017kg/m3.

This converts to 500 billion pounds in a single cm3.

The weight of the average car is about 4000 pounds.

So this is equivalent to stuffing approximately
125 million cars into one cubic centimeter!

That’s really dense!

And a whole lot a ENERGY!

Multiple Choice

What is density? How do you find it?

• Mass divided by volume

• Mass times volume

• Volume divided by mass

• Volume times mass

Multiple Choice

What is the average density of an average nucleus?

• 1 kg/m^3

• 2.3 x 10^17 kg/m^3

• 6.022 x 10^23 kg/m^3

An isotope that contains an unstable nucleus is
called a radioactive isotope or a radioisotope.

Strong Nuclear Force (Also referred to as Strong
Force):An attractive force that binds protons and
neutrons together in the nucleus.

The strong force is by far the strongest of the four
fundamental forces – strong force, gravitational
force, electromagnetic force, and weak forces

Multiple Choice

What is an isotope?

• An element that has different masses

• A compound that is slightly changed.

• A type of hair style

The electrostatic force
causes protons to
repel other protons.

Neutrons create the strong
nuclear force that holds
the nucleus together.

However, as more and more
protons are added, many
more neutrons are necessary
to keep the nucleus stable.

Multiple Choice

What is the name of the attractive force that binds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus?

• Strong Nuclear Force

• Hydrogen bonds

• Covalent Bonds

• Ionic Bonds

The small elements have a neutron to proton
ratio of 1:1.

As nuclei get heavier the ratio can increase to as
high as 1.5:1.

All elements above element #83 (bismuth – 83
protons) are unstable and radioactive.

More than 1500 different isotopes are known. Of
those, only 264 are stable and do not decay over time.

For elements with atomic numbers 20 or less, this ratio
is about 1:1. Above atomic number 20, stable nuclei
have more neutrons than protons.

As the number of protons in a nucleus increases, the
repulsive electrostatic force between protons increases
faster than the nuclear force.

Multiple Choice

As the number of protons and neutrons increases, the repulsive electrostatic force between protons increases faster than the nuclear force.

• True

• False

More neutrons are required to increase the nuclear
force and stabilize the nucleus.

Beyond the atomic number 83, bismuth, the
repulsive force of the protons is so great that
no stable isotopes exists.

The Band of Stability can be explained by the
relationship between the nuclear force and the
electrostatic forces between protons.

Multiple Choice

What element is the marker that indicates that anything larger than it is unstable and radioactive.

• Element 83

• Element 13

• Element 23

• Element 72

One factor that affects the
stability of nucleus is the
ratio of neutrons to protons.

Too many or too few
neutrons relative to the
number of protons makes
the nucleus unstable.

A neutron vs proton
plot of stable nuclei
form a pattern called
the Band of Stability.

bismuth-209

Decay will occur in
such a way as to
return a nucleus to
the band of stability.

83

209𝐵𝑖

Multiple Choice

Decay will occur in such a way as to return a nucleus to the band of stability.

• True

• False

A nuclear reaction is a reaction that affects the nucleus of the
atom. This process gives off large amounts of energy.

Unstable nuclei undergo spontaneous changes that change the
number of protons and/or neutrons in order to increase
stability.

The three major types of nuclear radiation are:

Alpha Particles

Beta Particles

Gamma Rays

b particles

(negative
charge)

g rays

a particles

(positive
charge)

Photographic

plate

(detecting screen)

Electrically

charged
plates

Radioactive
substance

Lead block

(no charge)

(+)

(-)

Aligning

Slot

Multiple Choice

Which is NOT a major type of radiation?

• Alpha

• Gamma

• Beta

• Delta

OR

+2

-1

0

0

0.0005486

4.015062

​OR

​OR

​OR

​+2

​-1

​0

​4.015062

​0.0005486

​0

OR

Heavy

Light

No Mass

No change to
the nucleus

Converts a neutron

to a proton

Increases atomic

number by 1

Decreases mass

number by 4

Decreases atomic

number by 2

Low

Medium

High

skin,
paper

glass, clothing,

wood

Low

Medium

High

lead

OR

Positron Emission

0𝑒+1

Some nuclei decay by emitting a positron

, a

particle that has the same mass as an

electron, but an opposite charge.

Neutron Emission
0
1𝑛

Proton Emission
1
1𝑝

K

-

Capture:

Sometimes, a nucleus will “capture” an

electron from the inner most energy level.

A proton plus an electron will form a neutron.

The inner

-

most energy level used to be called

the K

-

shell. This process is still called a K

-

capture.

​1p1

​0e -1

​1n0

​+

Open Ended

List the 3 major types of nuclear radiation in order of danger from the least dangerous to the most dangerous.

Open Ended

Describe how the Strong Force and electrostatic repulsion affect the nucleus.