Phy 102: Fundamentals of Physics II

Chapter 33: The Atomic Nucleus & Radioactivity Lecture Notes

Wilhem Rontgen
German physicist Discovered x-rays & studied ability of x-rays to penetrate solid materials Refused to file patents for his work on x-ray devices Winner of the 1st Nobel Prize in Physics (1901)
X-ray micrograph of Mrs. Roentgens hand (1895)

(1845-1923)

Marie Curie (1867-1934)

First woman to win the Nobel Prize Won 2 Nobel Prizes
Physics (1903): the discovery of polonium and radium Chemistry (1911): the isolation of radium and the study of its chemical properties

Some of her contributions:

Discovered radium and polonium Studied the properties of radioactivity During WWI proposed the use of x-rays to locate bullets and facilitate surgery Invented x-ray vans Died from leukemia (thought to be due to radiation exposure)

Types of Radiation
Alpha particles (a):
Helium nuclei positive charge Occurs when the nucleus of an atom ejects 2 protons & 2 neutrons (the identity of the atom changes!)

Beta particles (b):

Electrons Negative charge Usually occurs when a neutron transmutes to a proton (the
identity of the atom changes!)

Gamma rays (g):

High frequency electromagnetic (X ray) radiation (e.g. light) No charge Usually occurs when an excited nucleus relaxes to a lower state (the identity of the atom does not change!)

Isotopes & Radioactivity

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons (& different masses) The skinny:
Two fundamental forces involved: Electric and Strong force Electric force acts over longer distances than Strong force Protons repel each other (Electric force) Protons and neutrons attract each other (Strong force) The more nucleons that are in the nucleus the greater the distance of separation between protons At some point, the electric force repels the nucleons and the Strong force cannot balance it out
The nucleus is susceptible to nuclear decay

Half-Life
The nuclei of radioactive isotopes are unstable and inevitably decay to produce smaller nuclei (and some nuclear radiation) The half life (t1/2) of an isotope is the time it will take an isotope sample to decay to of its original value Examples:
t1/2 for 3H is 12.43 years t1/2 for 235U is 704 million years t1/2 for 14C is 5730 years

The Nuclear Decay for Tritium

Decay of 1000 Tritium Atoms
1200

#of Tritium atoms

1000 800 600 400

1 half-life

200
2 half-lives
3 half-lives

0 0 10 20

time (years)

30

40

50

60

Transmutation of Elements
When radioactive isotopes decay they become different elements. This process is called transmutation. Example 1: Decay of 14C to 14N 14C 14N + b {this is a beta decay} Example 2: Decay of 241Am to 237Np 241Am 237Np + a {this is an alpha decay}

Enrico Fermi (1901-1954)

Italian-American physicist Early work was theoretical
Explained the statistics of nuclear particles that obey the Pauli Exclusion Principle (now called Fermions)

Discovered artificial radioactivity

produced by bombarding elements with neutrons Performed 1st successful transmutation experiments

Discovered the chain-reaction A project leader & important contributor on the Manhattan Project

is produced in the upper atmosphere as 14N is bombarded by cosmic rays The 14C drops to the earth where it is absorbed by plants and animals The 14C levels in an organism are constant throughout the organisms life (since it continuously adds and removes 14C through
nutrition & respiration)

14C

Carbon Dating

There is one 14C atom for every trillion 12C atoms

1 carbon-14 : 1 x 1012 carbon-12

When an organism dies it can no longer replenish its 14C levels & the 14C begins to decay (remember, t1/2 for 14C is 5730
years)

Radioactivity levels of 14C are measured & the level of decay from the original value is used to estimate the organisms age