NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY 1

NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
 Our team at NTSEGuru grind to give the best work to our invaluable students.
 So after the analysis we have reached to conclusion that Nuclear Chemistry
question are seen in the paper of following states:
 Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and
Gujarat.
 Hence we are here with Concept Theory, Practice Sheet and Previously Asked
Questions of NTSE.

DIMENSIONS OF THE ATOM AND THE NUCLEUS

 The study and the use of reactions occurring between the nuclei of atoms is the
study of nuclear chemistry.

 Nucleus has no influence on the chemical behaviour of the atom directly.

 The fundamental particles present in the nucleus are called nucleons.

 Protons and neutrons are the fundamental particles present in the nucleus.

 The nuclear particles, other than protons and neutrons, are formed during the
reactions that occur in the nucleus.

 Units of nuclear radius is Fermi.

 1 Fermi  10 13 cm
1
 Radius of the nucleus  R0 A 3 .
Where R0  constant  1.4  1013 cm or 1.4 Fm
A = mass number (p + n).

 Atomic radii are of the order 10 10 m or 10 8 cm.

 Radius of the nucleus is of the order 10 15 m or 10 13 cm.

 Radius of the nucleus is about 105 times less than that of atom.

 Volume of nucleus is about 10 36 cc .

 Volume of the atom is about 10 24 cc .

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 Density of nucleus is about 1014 g/ cc or 1011 kg/ cc or 108 tons/ cc.

 Density of nucleus is about 1013 times greater than that of an atom.

ISODIAPHERS

(A) Isotopic number is the difference in the number of neutrons and protons (n – p)
or (n – Z).

(B) Isotopic number = A – 2Z.

(C) Isodiaphers are the atoms with the same isotopic number.

Example:
238 234 4
92 U  90 Th  2 He
A  238 324
2Z  184 180
( A  2Z )  54 54

(D) Isodiaphers are formed due to the emission of alpha particle.

Nuclear Isomers:
Those nuclei, which have same atomic and mass number but different rate of
emission of radioactive radiation are known as nuclear isomers. They have
different rate of decay, decay constant, half-life etc.
Example:
60
Co and 60
Co m , 69Zn and 69Zn m (m represents metastable state)

Isoelectronics :
Atoms/ions having same number of electrons.
e.g.,
N 3 ,O 2 , F  , Ne, Mg 2 , Al 3 all are isoelectronic and have 10 electrons.

Isosters:
Molecules having same number of atoms and electrons.
e.g.,
N2O and CO2 .

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NUCLEAR STABILITY

(A) The stability of a nuclear depends on its composition.

(B) The stability of a nuclide can be explained by :

(i) mass defect, binding energy and average binding energy
(ii) n/p ratio
(iii) magic numbers of protons and neutrons.

(C) Mass defect, binding energy and average binding energy:

(i) Mass defect   m  is the difference between the sum of the masses of the
nucleons and the actual mass of the nucleus.
m  [ Z M H  ( A  Z ) M n ]  M
Where Z = atomic number of the nuclide
MH  mass of H atom = 1.007825 amu
(A – Z) = number of neutrons
M n  mass of neutrons = 1.008665 amu
M = real mass of the nuclide

(ii) 1amu  931.5 MeV .

1eV  1.6  10 12 ergs
1amu  1.66  1024 g
Velocity of light  3  1010 cm s 1 or 3  108 m s 1
1amu  1.492  103 ergs

(iii) Binding energy is the energy released when a nuclide is formed from the
constituent nucleons.

(iv) Binding energy is the energy required to dissociate a nuclide into the
constituent nucleons.
Binding energy  Mass defect in amu  931.5MeV .

(v) Greater the mass defect, greater is the binding energy and greater is the
stability of the nucleus.

(vi) Binding energy per nucleon is called average binding energy.

Binding energy
Average binding energy 
Mass number

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(vii) Greater the average binding energy, greateer is the stability of the
nucleus.

(viii) The nuclide (like iron) of mass number ‘5A’ have maximum average
binding energy.
4
(ix) The average binding energy is abnormally high for 2 He, 126C and 16
O.
8

These are highly stable.

NEUTRON-PROTON RATIO

n
(A) In the nuclides upto Z = 20, then ratio is 1 and these nuclides are stable.
p

(B) The zone or belt, in which the stable nuclides fall in the plot between mass
number (A) and n/p ratio, is known as zone of stability.

(C) The plot, showing the relation between neutrons and protons, gives the zone of
stability.

(D) In the nuclides of lighter elements upto Z = 20, then n/p ratio is 1.

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(E) Beyond Z > 20, the number of neutrons will be more than the number of protons
n 
 p  1 .
 

(F) The excess neutrons, in the nuclides Z > 20, increase the attractive forces and
also reduce the repulsion between the protons.

n n
(G) Nuclides, with high ratio, disintegrate by beta decay, thus decreasing ratio.
p p

n
(H) Nuclides, with low
p
ratio, disintegrate by losing a positron  0
1 
e or by capturing

oa neutron or by alpha decay.

MAGIC NUMBERS:

(i) Nuclei with 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82 or 126 number of protons or neutrons or both are
formed stable. These numbers are called magic numbers.

(ii) Nuclides with even number of protons and even number of neutrons are stable.’

RADIOACTIVE DECAY

 Radioactive elements have unstable nuclei and undergo spontaneous

disintegration from one element to another (one atom to another).

 The disintegration of radioactive elements is accompanied by the emission of

 ,  or  rays.

 Rate of disintegration is the number of atoms of a radioactive element that

 dN 
disintegrate in unit time  .
 dt 

 The rate of disintegration is directly proportional to the number of remaining

unchanged radioactive atoms (N) present at that time.
dN dN
  N or  N
dt dt
Where  is decay constant.

 All radioactive disintegrations are of first order.

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2.303 N
 Rate equation   log 0
t N
where N0  initial number of radioactive atoms

 N  Number of radioactive atoms left after the time ‘t’.

 Units of 1  sec 1 or min1 or hour 1 or year 1 .

N0
 log  0.4343 t.
N

HALF-LIFE & AVERAGE LIFE

 The term half-life was introduced by Rutherford.

 The time required to decay exactly one half of the initial amount of a radioactive
 
element is called half-life of that element T 1 or T0.5 or T50%  .
 2 

0.693
 T1 
2
decay constant

 Half-life of a radioactive element is independent of its initial amount.

Initial amount
 Amount of radioactive substance left 
2n
Time
where n   number of half-times.
T1
2

1
 In the ‘n’ half-lives period, the amount of the radioactive element reduces to .
2n

N0
 The amount left after a given number of half-lives is given by N  or
2n
n
 1
N  N0   .
2

 The time required for the complete disintegration of a radioactive element is

infinity.

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 Short the half-life greater is the radioactive of the element (greater is its
dangerous nature).

Number of Atoms or amount % Atoms or % decayed

half-lives (n) remaining (N) Remaining amount
decayed
N0 N0
1 50% 50%
2 2
N0 N 0 3N0
2  25% 75%
22 4 4
N0 N 0 7N0
3  12.5% 87.5%
23 8 8
N0 N 0 15N0
4  6.25% 93.75%
24 16 16

 T1 : T75% : T87.5%  1: 2 : 3
2

T25%  0.415 T1
2

T90%  3.33 T1
2

T99%  6.66T1
2

T99.9%  10 T1
2

T99.9%  13.33T1
2

 Average life of a radioactive element is the ratio of the total life time of all
radioactive atoms to the total number of atoms present in it.

 Average life is the reciprocal of the decay constant.

1
Average life 
Decay constant

t1
1
 Average life   2
 1.44 T1
 0.693 2

 Half-life  6.963  Average life.

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NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY

 The spontaneous natural emission of  ,  ,  - radiations by unstable nucleus is

called natural radioactivity.

 Natural radioactivity was discovered by Henry Becquerel.

 Radioactivity is a nuclear phenomenon (first-order).

 Radioactivity is independent of temperature, pressure and catalyst.

 Radioactivity of an element not change even if it is converted into a compound,

say chloride.

ARTIFICIAL RADIOACTIVITY

 If a stable nucleus is converted into an unstable nucleus, by bombarding with a

fast moving particle like proton, alpha-particle or deuteron, the process is called
artificial radioactivity or induced radioactivity.
25 4 28 1
12 Mg  2 He  13 Al  1 H
e.g. stable   particle unstable

28 28 0
13 Al  14 Si  1 e
unstable beta  particle
and radiaoctive

 Artificial radioactivity was discovered by Joliot and Irenen Curie.

 In the artificial radioactivity,   or positron particles are decayed (In natural

radioactivity,    , and   particles are emitted.

 Half-life of artificial radioactive element is low (Natural radioactive elements have

high half-lives).

RADIOACTIVE DISINTEGER ACTION SERIES

 The series of successive stages, in the disintegration of radioactive element till a

final stable nuclide is formed, is called radioactive disintegration series.

 There are four disintegration series, out of which three are natural and one is
artificial.

 The series is named after the longest lived member of the series.

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 The natural series are thorium, uranium and actinium series.

 The artificial series is neptunium series.

 The mass numbers of the member nuclides are divided with 4 and based on the
remainder, the series are also named.
Series Starting End Number of   and
nuclide product   particles emitted
Thorium or 4n 232
90 Th 208
82 Pb 6 ,4 
Uranium or 4n + 2 238
92 U 206
82 Pb 8 ,6 
Actinium or 4n + 3 235
92 U 207
82 Pb 7 ,4 
Neptunium or 4n + 1 241
94 Pu 209
83 Bi 8 ,5

Mass number difference

 Number of   particles emitted 
4
Number of   particles emitted
 2  Atomic number difference
b d
Number of   particles 
4
(b  d )
Number of   particles  c  a
2

SODDY - FAJAN - RUSSEL’S GROUP DISPLACEMENT LAW :

 When an   particle is emitted, the product nuclide will be displaced to the left
by two groups in the periodic table.
214  d
84 Po   c B
VI A IV A

 When a   particle is emitted, the product nuclide will be displaced to the right
by one group in the periodic table.
221  221
87 F   88 Ra
IA II A

 Gamma emission has only a secondary effect. No displacement of group occurs.

Simply the energy of the daughter nuclide will be less than that of its parent
nuclide.

 Elements, with atomic numbers 89 to 103, belong to III B group.

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UNITS OF RADIOACTIVITY
 Radioactivity is measured in curie.

 Curie (Ci) is the quantity of a radioactive substance, undergoing 3.7 1010

disintegrations per second.

 Rutherford (Rd) is the quantity of a radioactive substance, undergoing 106 dps.

 In S.I., the unit of radioactivity is Becquerel (Bq).

RADIOACTIVE EQUILIBRIUM

 When the rate at which a radioactive nuclide is formed becomes equal to its rate
of disintegration, then that radioactive nuclide is said to be in equilibrium with its
parent nuclides.
A   B  C
At equilibrium, rate of formation of B from A is equal to the rate of disintegration
of B into C.
Now B is in equilibrium with A.

T1 A
NA  B
 At equilibrium,   2
NB  A T1 B
2

where, N A and N B  Number of atoms of A and B

A and B  Decay constant of A and B
T1 A and T1 B  Half-lives of A and B
2 2

NUCLEAR REACTIONS
 First nuclear reaction was done by Rutherford.
14 4 17 1
7 N  2 He  8 O  1H
Target projectile Product Ejectile

 The projectile and ejectile are always represented by their symbols.

14 17
7 N ( , p ) O
8

 Neutron is the best projectile because it has no charge and is not repelled by the
target.

 Nuclear reaction is to be balanced on both sides of the equation with respect to

mass numbers and atomic numbers.

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NUCLEAR FISSION

 Nuclear fission reaction is that in which a heavier nucleus breaks down into two
or more lighter nuclei of nearly equal size (mass) with the release of large
amount of energy.
235
92 U  10 n  143
56 Ba  90
36 Kr  3 10n  200 MeV .

 The above nuclear fission reaction was first observed by Hahn and strassman.
235
 During the nuclear fission of U , about 0.215 amu mass of uranium converts
into energy (about 1%).

 1g U-235 releases about 7.94  107 kJ energy is the fission reaction.

 In the fission of U-235 nucleus, on an average 2.5 neutrons are released.

 The neutrons, released in the fission reaction, are called secondary neutrons.

 The successive nuclear fission reactions, produced by the secondary neutrons, is

called chain reactions.

 Atom bomb is based on nuclear fission.

 Controlled fission reactions can be used in the generation of nuclear powered

electricity.

 Nuclear fission reactions take place in heavier elements and even at ordinary
temperatures.

 Nuclear fission reactions can be controlled.

NUCLEAR FUSSION

 The fusion of two lighter nuclei in a stable heavier nucleus with the release of
large amount of energy is called nuclear fusion.
4 11H  42 He  2 0
e  27 MeV
1

 In the fusion reaction, about 0.7% mass is converted into energy.

 The energy released per nucleon in the fusion reaction is greater than that in
fission reaction.

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 There is repulsion between the nuclei due to the presence of positive charge and
to overcome this repulsion, the fusion reactions are carried out at very high
temperatures (millions of degrees). For this reason, the nuclear reactions are
also known as thermo-nuclear reactions.

 The energy from the sun and stars is due to nuclear fusion.

 Hydrogen bomb is based on nuclear fusion reaction and is 1000 times powerful
than atom bomb.

 Fusion reactions occur in lighter elements and these reactions can’t be

controlled.

APPLICATIONS OF RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPES

 Radioactive isotopes are used as tracers in the reaction mechanism.

 Radioactive iodine, I-131 is used in the detection of brain tumour.

 Radioactive sodium, Na-24, is used for the study of the restricted circulation of
blood.

 I-131 is used to study the functioning of thyroid gland.

 Co-50 and Co-60 are used to detect and treat cancer.

 P-32 is used to treat blood disorders.

 The absorption and distribution of phosphorus to various parts of the plants is

studied by using P-32.

 S-34 is used to study how minerals are transported.

 The yield of the crop can be improved by the irradiation of g-radiation.

 Age of rocks and be known by uranium dating.

 Age of fossils and archaeological samples can be known by carbon dating (using
C-14).


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MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. A radioactive nucleus can emit [NTSE Chhattisgarh 2019]

(A)  ,  or  in sequence
(B)  ,  or  any one particle at a time
(C)  ,  or  all the three together (D) Only  and  together

2. The Th232
90 atom undergoes successive  and  decays to the end product
Pb208
82 . The number of  and  particles emitted in the process respectively are

[NTSE West Bengal 2017]

(A) 4, 6 (B) 4, 4 (C) 6, 6 (D) 6, 4

3. In an atomic reactor, which of the following is used as fuel ?

[NTSE West Bengal 2017]
(A) H1 (B) H2 (C) D2O (D) U 235

4. If the atom z X A emits two   particles, then the number of neutrons in the
produced atom is [NTSE West Bengal 2018]
(A) A  Z  2 (B) AZ 4 (C) AZ 2 (D) A  Z  4

5. Which of the following is electromagnetic wave in nature?

[NTSE West Bengal 2018]
(A)   ray (B)   ray (C)   ray (D) Cathode ray

6. A and B are two radioactive substances having half life periods TA abd TB
respectively. If TA  3TB and A and B are the respective disintegration
constants, what relation between them is correct? [NTSE Bihar 2017]
(A) B : A  3 : 1 (B) B : A  1: 3 (C) B : A  2 : 3 (D) B : A  3 : 2

14
7. Number of neutrons in a parent nucleus ‘A’ which gives 7 N after two successive
 emission would be [NTSE Bihar 2017]
(A) 6 (B) 7 (C) 8 (D) 9

8. Which of the following processes causes the emission of an X-ray?

[NTSE - Bihar 2017]
(A) Alpha emission (B) Positron emission
(C) K-electron capture (D) Gamma emission

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9. The reaction that take place in nuclear reactor is [NTSE – Uttar Pradesh 2017]
(A) Nuclear fusion (B) Nuclear fission
(C) Controlled nuclear fission (D) Double decomposition

10. Which elements are used in Atomic Reactors to control the speed of neutrons?
[NTSE – Delhi 2017]
(A) Boron and Cadmium (B) Cadmium and Aluminium
(C) Boron and Iron (D) Sodium and Potassium

11. The half life of a radioisotope is 4 hours. If the initial mass of the isotope was 200
g, the mass remaining after 24 hours undecayed. [NTSE – Karnataka 2018]
(A) 1.042 g (B) 3.125 g
(C) 2.084 g (D) 4.167 g

12. The reason for unstability of nano particles : [NTSE – Tamilnadu 2019]
(A) Hydrolysis (B) Hydration
(C) Combustion (D) Reduction

13. Boron rods in a nuclear reactor are used to

(A) absorb excess neutrons (B) absorb alpha particles
(C) slow down the speed of neutrons (D) speed up the reaction

14. The final decay produced in uranium radioactive series is

(A) Pb - 206 (B) Pb – 207
(C) Pb - 208 (D) Pb - 210

15. The rays are given off by a radioactive element from

(A) nucleus (B) valence electrons
(C) all the orbits (D) outer orbit





ANSWERKEY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
B D D B C A D C C A
11 12 13 14 15
B C A A A


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Solutions
Sol.1  ,  or  any one particle at a time. Only one phenomenon can occur at a
time, either   decay or   decay.

232
208
Sol.2  6  particle
24

Sol.3 Nuclear fuel is the fuel that is used in a nuclear reactor to sustain a nuclear
chain reaction. These fuels are fissile, and the most common nuclear fuels
are the radioactive metals uranium-235 and plutonium-239

Sol.4 z X A 
2
z4 X
A 8

Number of neutrons   A  8    Z  4 
 A8Z  4  AZ 4

Sol.5 Theoretical

1
Sol.6 Thalf 

TA B
  3
TB A
or, B : 3A

14
Sol.7 5

Y   14 
6 X   14
7 N
 Number of neutron in Parent nucleus  14  5  9

Sol.8 X-rays are produced when high energy electrons are captured by a metal of
high atomic number

Sol.9 The reaction in Nuclear reactor is Controlled nuclear fission, where an

unstable nucleus breaks into two or more daughter Nuclei

Sol.10 Control rods are used in nuclear reactors to control the fission rate of uranium
or plutonium. Their compositions includes chemical elements such as boron,
cadmium, silver, or indium, that are capable of absorbing many neutrons
without themselves fissioning.

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Sol.11 If Y  Number of half life

TotalTime 24
Y   6
Half Time 4
C  Amount left after Y half life
C0  Initial amount
y 6
 1  1
 C  C0    200    3.125g
2  2

Sol.12 Fact

Sol.13 Control rods are used in nuclear reactors to control the fission rate of uranium
and plutonium. It is achieved by removing the excess neutrons from the
reactor core. The only way to remove the excess neutrons through some
elements which posses strong neutron absorption capacity. One such
element is boron. By regulating the movement or insertion of boron rods into
the reactor core while fission process is in progress, the excess neutrons
produced during the chain reaction are absorbed by boron which rods
regulate the availability of neutron.

Sol.14 Theoretical

Sol.15 Radioactivity decay is a process by which a nucleus of an unstable atom

loses energy by emitting ionizing radiation. A material that spontaneously
emits this kind of radiation which includes the emission of alpha particles,
beta particles, gamma rays and conversion electrons is considered
radioactive.




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