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Isotopes - Radioactivity

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24 views20 pages

Isotopes - Radioactivity

Uploaded by

Rachel Miller
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Radioactivity/Isotopy

CSEC Chemistry

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Objectives
Students should be able to:
1. Define isotope.
2. Define relative atomic mass. (Relative atomic mass based on
carbon-12 isotope)
3. Explain what is meant by a radioactive isotope.
4. List uses of radioactive isotopes.

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Isotopes
• Isotopes are different atoms of the same element that have the same
number of protons and electrons but different numbers of neutrons.

I.e. Isotopes have the same atomic number but different mass numbers.

🡪 Isotopes have the same chemical properties


but slightly different physical properties.

🡪 Isotopes may be naturally occurring or man-made

Let’s look at a few examples


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Isotopes of Carbon (C)
•

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Isotopes of Hydrogen(H)
•

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Isotopes of Chlorine(Cl)
•

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Relative Atomic Mass (Ar)
• Grams is too big a unit to describe the mass of atoms which are so small.
• A unique unit is used in chemistry which compares the mass of atoms to
the carbon-12 isotope.
• A carbon-12 atom has a mass of 12.00 atomic mass units.
• Therefore, one-twelfth the mass of a carbon-12 atom has a mass of 1.00
atomic mass units.

Relative atomic mass (Ar) is the mass of one atom of an element compared
to one-twelfth the mass of an atom of carbon-12.
Units: None, since it is a comparative value.

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Let’s Calculate Ar of Chlorine
•

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Test Yourself
•

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Radioactivity
• A radioactive isotope has an unstable nucleus which decays
spontaneously to a more stable form by emitting particles and
radiation.
• 3 main types of particles and radiation emitted :
Alpha ( α ) particles – ( 2 protons, 2 neutrons, a charge of +2)
(i.e. a helium nucleus)
Beta ( β ) particles – (an electron, charge of -1)
Gamma ( γ ) particles – ( high energy electromagnetic radiation, no
mass nor charge)

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Uses of Radioactive Isotopes

For more uses, visit https://idph.iowa.gov/Portals/1/userfiles/124/MajorUsesofRadioisotopes_IDPH_Rad_Health.pdf


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Half Life(t1/2)
• The time taken for half of the nuclei in a sample of a radioactive
isotope to undergo radioactive decay is known as the half-life of the
isotope.
• The half life of different radioisotopes
can range from seconds to many years

https://chem.libretexts.org
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References
Chemistry for CSEC 2nd Edition. Tindale, et al.
Google images – no copyright infringement intended

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