ì

UNIT 3: Nuclear Chemistry

CP Chemistry
Gra%on High School
UNIT OBJECTIVES:
ì  SWBAT:

Key Questions

ì  How do nuclear reac8ons differ from chemical reac8ons?

ì  What are the three types of nuclear radia8on?

ì  How is nuclear power used to generate electricity?

ì  How much of a radioac8ve sample remains a%er each half

life?

ì  How is radia8on detected?

ì  What are some prac8cal uses of radioisotopes?

Radioactivity
ì  One of the pieces of evidence for the fact
that atoms are made of smaller par8cles
came from the work of Marie Curie
(1876-1934) and her husband, Antoine
Henri Becquerel.
ì  She created the term radioac2vity, the
spontaneous disintegra8on of some
elements into smaller pieces by emission of
par8cles or rays
ì  WATCH: hSps://goo.gl/IyuRj4
Nuclear Reactions vs.
Normal Chemical Changes
ì  Radioisotopes are isotopes with unstable nuclei and undergo
radioac2ve decay
ì  Nuclear reac8ons involve the nucleus
ì  The nucleus opens, and protons and neutrons are rearranged
ì  The opening of the nucleus releases a tremendous amount of
energy that holds the nucleus together – called binding
energy

ì  “Normal” Chemical Reac8ons involve electrons, not protons
and neutrons

ì  Nuclear decay is NOT affected by temperature, pressure or
presence of catalysts (as chemical reac8ons ARE).

ì  Spontaneous nuclear decay cannot be sped up or slowed
down.
Energy From Nuclear Decay
ì  Nuclear decay produces ENERGY

ì  That energy is released as electromagne2c

radia2on (gamma rays) or kine2c energy (carried
by alpha and beta par8cles)
Types of Radiation

Alpha (ά) – a posi2vely 4

He
• 

charged helium isotope - we 2

usually ignore the charge because it involves
electrons, not protons and neutrons
0
e
0
e
• Beta (β) – an electron
−1

−1
• Gamma (γ) – pure energy;
called a ray rather than a 0
0 γ
par2cle
 ì
Characteristics of Radiation
Penetrating Ability
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Radiation
ì  Atoms are not all stable.

ì  Excess energy in an unstable atom is released in a

basic par2cle or wave

ì  Radioac2ve isotopes have undergone nuclear

decay to become MORE stable

ì  Greek alphabet is used to name par8cles (in order

of their discovery)
REMEMBER!
ì  The nuclear structure changes with radioac8ve
decay, but radioisotopes are NOT chemically
different!
Alpha Particles
ì  Heaviest par8cle

ì  Rays, NOT waves –made of

high-energy par8cles that
are expelled from unstable
nuclei
ì  Alpha par8cle is a helium
nucleus (ion)
ì  Not very penetra8ng; easily
absorbed
ì  SPEED: 16,000km/sec (1/10th
speed of light!)
Balancing Nuclear Reactions

• In the reactants (star8ng materials –

on the le% side of an equa8on) and
products (final products – on the right
side of an equa8on)

Atomic numbers must balance
and
Mass numbers must balance

• Use a par8cle or isotope to fill in the
missing protons and neutrons
Nuclear Reactions
ì  Alpha emission

Note that mass number (A) goes down by 4

and atomic number (Z) goes down by 2.

Nucleons (nuclear par8cles… protons and

neutrons) are rearranged but conserved
Beta Particles
ì  LIGHTER energy par8cles

ì  Energe2c electron given off

by unstable nuclei to restore
energy balance
ì  Stopped by aluminum (few
mm thick) or 3 meters of air
ì  8,000 8mes smaller than
alpha par8cle
ì  SPEED: 270,000 km/sec

ì  Can cause cellular damage

Nuclear Reactions
ì  Beta emission

•  Note that mass number (A) is unchanged and

atomic number (Z) goes up by 1.
•  This is because it is caused by a neutron that
breaks apart into a proton and electron (electron
is emiSed).
 Gamma Ray
ì  HIGH-ENERGY photon (light
wave)

ì  Same family as X-rays and

light
ì  MORE energe8c and
harmful

ì  Damaging to living cells

ì  Slows down energy by

transferring it to cell
components
Artificial Nuclear Reactions

New elements or new isotopes of known elements are

produced by bombarding an atom with a subatomic
par2cle such as a proton or neutron -- or even a
much heavier par2cle such as 4He and 11B.
Reac2ons using neutrons are called
γ reac2ons because a γ ray is usually emiSed.
Radioisotopes used in medicine are oTen made by γ
reac2ons.


Transuranium Elements

Elements beyond 92 (transuranium) made star2ng with an

γ reac2on

238 U + 1 n ---> 239 U + γ

92 0 92

239 U ---> 23993Np + 0-1β

92

23993Np ---> 23994Pu + 0-1β

Nuclear Fission
 Nuclear Fission

ì  Fission is the splilng of atoms caused by bombarding

nuclei of isotopes with neutrons
ì  Controlled reac8on; produces ENERGY

ì  Example: Fission of Uranium-235 nucleus

 Nuclear Fission

ì  Chain reac2on: More neutrons are released, which

strike nuclei of other isotopes
ì  These are usually very large, so that they are not as stable

ì  Nuclear Power sta2ons use heat released by nuclear reac2on

(nuclear fission) to boil water to make steam
Fission Process - MODEL
 Nuclear Fission & POWER

ì  Currently about 103 nuclear

power plants in the U.S. and
about 435 worldwide.

ì  17% of the world’s energy

comes from nuclear.
Diagram of a nuclear power plant
Nuclear Explosion
ì  Explosion occurs when reac8on is allowed to
run out of control
ì  Large amounts of ENERGY released QUICKLY

ì  WATCH:

ì  Nuclear reactor controls rate of energy release

ì  Uranium oxide held in fuel rods
ì  Rods lowered into reactor core
ì  Coolant (CO2) circulated to remove heat
ì  Control rods in core absorb neutrons and
control rate of chain reac8on
ì  Raised to speed up; lowered to slow down
Nuclear Fusion
ì  Fusion occurs when small nuclei combine to create nucleus of
greater mass.
ì  Releases more energy than fission

ì  Occur only at VERY high temperatures (40,000,000 °C)

ì  Hydrogen bomb is uncontrolled-fusion device

ì  Occurs naturally in the sun and other stars

Half-Life
ì  HALF-LIFE is the 2me
that it takes for 1/2 a
sample to decompose.

ì  The rate of a nuclear

transforma2on
depends only on the
“reactant”
concentra2on.
Half-Life

Decay of 20.0 mg of 15O. What remains aTer 3 half-lives?

ATer 5 half-lives?
 Kinetics of Radioactive Decay

For each dura2on (half-life), one half of the substance

decomposes.

For example: Ra-234 has a half-life of 3.6 days

If you start with 50 grams of Ra-234

ATer 3.6 days > 25 grams

ATer 7.2 days > 12.5 grams
ATer 10.8 days > 6.25 grams
Learning Check!

The half life of I-123 is 13 hr. How much of a 64

mg sample of I-123 is leT aTer 39 hours?
Effects of Radiation
Geiger Counter
ì  Used to detect radioac2ve substances
 Radiocarbon Dating

Radioac2ve C-14 is formed in the upper atmosphere by

nuclear reac2ons ini2ated by neutrons in cosmic
radia2on
14N + 1 n ---> 14C + 1H
o

The C-14 is oxidized to CO2, which circulates through the

biosphere.
When a plant dies, the C-14 is not replenished.
But the C-14 con2nues to decay with t1/2 = 5730 years.
Ac2vity of a sample can be used to date the sample.
Nuclear Medicine: Imaging

Thyroid imaging using Tc-99m

 Food Irradiation

• Food can be irradiated with γ rays from

60Co or 137Cs.

• Irradiated milk has a shelf life of 3 mo.

without refrigera2on.
• USDA has approved irradia2on of meats
and eggs.