Nuclear Decay Equations
Write the alpha decay of Uranium-238
Thorium-234
The three types of Nuclear Radiation are....
Alpha Decay, Beta Decay, and Gamma Decay
Nuclear reactions consisting of two lighter nuclei combining to form one heavier nucleus is known as nuclear _______.
Fusion
A sample of carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years. If you start with 100 grams of carbon-14, how much will remain after 5730 years?
50 grams
Write the gamma decay of Carbon-13
Carbon-13
List and describe the two opposing forces that are working in the nucleus of the atom.
Electrostatic repulsion -- protons' positive charges are repelling each other, causing the protons to separate within the nucleus
Strong Nuclear Force -- neutrons exhibit a force that holds the nucleus together.
Nuclear reactions where one heavy nucleus splits to form two lighter and more stable nuclei is known as Nuclear ___________.
Fission
A substance has a half-life of 10 years. How much of a 160-gram sample will remain after 30 years?
20 grams
Write the electron capture of Beryllium-7.
Be-7 + electron --> lithium-7
What is the name of the man who discovered radioactivity?
Henri Becquerel
The power of the sun is generally generated by fusing isotopes of ____________ to form __________?
Bonus: Draw the nuclear equation for this reaction, including the emitted neutron
Hydrogen ; Helium
Hydrogen-2 + Hydrogen-3 --> Helium-4 + neutron
A sample of iodine-131 has a half-life of 8 days. If 25 grams of iodine-131 decays to 3.125 grams, how long has the sample been decaying?
24 days
What element is formed when Polonium (Po) undergoes beta decay?
Astatine (At)
Alpha particle (Helium nucleus)
The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were examples of what type of nuclear reaction?
Bonus: The bomb dropped on Nagasaki was based on what radioactive element?
Fission
Bonus: Plutonium
It takes 15 years for 500 grams of a radioactive isotope to decay into 62.5 grams. What is the half-life of this isotope?
5 years
Mystery element X undergoes alpha decay and forms Americium-243. What isotope is element X?
Berkelium-247.
The type of radioactive decay increases the atomic number of an element by 1.
Beta decay
The smallest mass of fissionable material that can sustain a nuclear chain reaction is known as _____________ ________.
Critical Mass
After 4 half-lives, 10 grams of a radioactive isotope remains. What was the initial mass of the sample?
160 grams
Identify Isotope Z and write the full nuclear equation.
Es-252 + 1 neutron --> Ru-113 + Cs-137 + 3 neutrons
Isotope Z = Einsteinium-252