Nuclear Decay

Graphic: www.lab-initio.com
Nuclear Symbols
Element symbol
Mass number, A
(p
+
+ n
o
)

Atomic number, Z
(number of p
+
)
U
235
92
Balancing Nuclear Equations
235 1 142 91 1
92 0 56 36 0
3 U n Ba Kr n + + +
EA
reactants
= EA
products
EZ
reactants
= EZ
products
235 + 1 = 142 + 91 + 3(1)
92 + 0 = 56 + 36 + 3(0)
Balancing Nuclear Equations #2
226 4
88 2
Ra o +
226 = 4 + ____ 222
222
88 = 2 + ___ 86
86
Atomic number 86 is radon, Rn
Rn
Balancing Nuclear Equations #3
235 1 139 1
92 0 53 0
2 U n I n + + +
235 + 1 = 139 + 2(1) + ____ 95
39 92 + 0 = 53 + 2(0) + ____
39
95
Atomic number 39 is yttrium, Y
Y
Alpha Decay
Alpha production (o):
an alpha particle is a
helium nucleus


238 4 234
92 2 90
U He Th +
Alpha decay is limited to heavy, radioactive
nuclei
238 4 234
92 2 90
U Th o +
4 2 4 2
2 2
He or o
+ +
Alpha
Radiation
Limited to
VERY large
nucleii.
Beta Decay
Beta production (|):
A beta particle is an
electron ejected from
the nucleus
234 234 0
90 91 1
Th Pa e

+
Beta emission converts a neutron to a proton
234 234 0
90 91 1
Th Pa |

+
0 0
1 1
e or |

Beta
Radiation
Converts a
neutron into
a proton.
Gamma Ray Production
Gamma ray production ():

Gamma rays are high energy photons
produced in association with other forms of
decay.
Gamma rays are massless and do not, by
themselves, change the nucleus

0
0
234
90
4
2
238
92
2 + Th He U
Gamma Ray Production
Gamma ray production ():

Gamma rays are high
energy photons produced in
association with other
forms of decay.
Gamma rays are
massless and do not,
by themselves,
change the nucleus

0
0
234
90
4
2
238
92
2 + + Th He U
Positron Production
Positron emission:
Positrons are the anti-
particle of the electron

Positron emission converts a proton to a neutron
Ne e Na
22
10
0
1
22
11
+
e
0
1
Electron Capture
Electron capture: (inner-orbital electron
is captured by the nucleus)
Electron capture converts a proton to a
neutron

0
0
201
79
0
1
201
80
+ +

Au e Hg
Types of Radiation
Nuclear
Stability
Decay will occur in
such a way as to
return a nucleus to
the band (line) of
stability.
The most stable
nuclide is Iron-56
If Z > 83, the
nuclide is radioactive
Graphic Wikimedia user : Napy1kenobi

A Decay
Series
A radioactive nucleus
reaches a stable state
by a series of steps
Graphic Wikimedia Commons User Tosaka
Half-life
Graphic - http://cafreetextbooks.ck12.org/science/CK12_Earth_Science_rev.pdf
Decay Kinetics
Decay occurs by first order kinetics (the
rate of decay is proportional to the number
of nuclides present)
0
ln
N
kt
N
| |
=
|
\ .
N = number of nuclides
remaining at time t
N
0
= number of nuclides
present initially
k = rate constant
t = elapsed time
Calculating Half-life
1/ 2
ln(2) 0.693
t
k k
= =
t
1/2
= Half-life (units dependent
on rate constant, k)

Sample Half-Lives