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UNIT 3: Nuclear Chemistry

This document provides an overview of nuclear chemistry, including: - How nuclear reactions differ from chemical reactions by involving changes to the nucleus. - The three main types of nuclear radiation: alpha, beta, and gamma rays. - How nuclear power plants use controlled nuclear fission to generate electricity. - The concept of half-life and how it relates to radioactive decay and dating techniques. - Practical applications of radioisotopes in areas like nuclear medicine, food preservation, and dating.

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JP Morgan
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32 views36 pages

UNIT 3: Nuclear Chemistry

This document provides an overview of nuclear chemistry, including: - How nuclear reactions differ from chemical reactions by involving changes to the nucleus. - The three main types of nuclear radiation: alpha, beta, and gamma rays. - How nuclear power plants use controlled nuclear fission to generate electricity. - The concept of half-life and how it relates to radioactive decay and dating techniques. - Practical applications of radioisotopes in areas like nuclear medicine, food preservation, and dating.

Uploaded by

JP Morgan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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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.

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