Radioactive Decay

Half-Life
Alpha and Beta Decay

Radioactive DecayWhat is it?

Spontaneous release of energy in the
form of radioactive particles or waves.
Decrease over time of the original
amount of the radioactive material
Nucleus decays over a period of time
Random

Radioactive Decay Law

... We can determine, based on
probability, approximately how many
nuclei in a sample will decay over a given
time period, by asuming that each
nucleus has the same probability of
decaying in each second it exists.

HALF-LIFE
The amount of time required for one-half
(50%) of the radioactive atoms to decay
Every radioactive element has a specific
half-life associated with it
Is a spontaneous process

HALF-LIFE

HALF-LIFE
Can range from fractions of a second to
billions of years.
Measures stability of nucleus
No operation or process of any kind (i.e.,
chemical or physical) has ever been
shown to change the rate at which a
radionuclide decays.

Calculations for half-life

Example: Technetium-99 has a half-life
of 6 hours. You have 100 grams- how
many grams are left after 6 hours? (50
grams)
Another 6 hours? (25 grams)

How to calculate halflife?

24

Warm-up 10/18
Calculate the half lives for the following questions:
Problem #1:The half-life of Zn-71 is 2.4 minutes.
If one had 100.0 g at the beginning, how many
grams would be left after 7.2 minutes has
elapsed?
Problem #2:Os-182 has a half-life of 21.5 hours.
How many grams of a 10.0 gram sample would
have decayed after exactly three half-lives?

Vocabulary review
Isotope: versions of an atom that have the
same protons, but different neutrons
Ion: atom where electrons do not equal
protons, giving the atom a charge (+/-)
Proton: found in the nucleus of an atom;
positively charged
Neutron: found in the nucleus of an atom;
neutral charge
Electron: found in the energy shell around
the nucleus; negative charge

Nuclear Symbols
What does each number represent?

Atomic Mass

Atomic Number

Alpha Decay

Nucleus of an atom splits into two parts

One part (alpha particle) goes zooming into
space
Alpha particle is a positively charged particle
of a helium nuclei with a +2 charge (Helium-4)
Alpha particle usually shown with no charge
because it picks up electrons as it zooms away
The nucleus left behind has its atomic number
reduced by 2 and its mass number reduced by
4

Alpha decay
Occurs often in large, heavy elements like uranium
and thorium
Example: Radon-222 undergoes nuclear decay when
it releases an alpha particle. The remaining isotope
as a mass of 218 (222-4) and an atomic number of
84 (86-2), which identifies the element as Polonium
(Po)

Beta Decay (Minus or Plus)

Element gives off a beta particle (an electron)
The mass number will stay the same
The atomic number can decrease by 1 or increase
by 1 depending on the particle charge
Check to see what the atomic number identifies
the element as

Beta Plus Decay

Fission vs. Fusion

Fission: a splitting or breaking into
parts; releases heat by splitting
atoms
Fusion: union of atomic nuclei to
form heavier nuclei resulting in the
release of enormous amounts of
energy; powers the sun by fusion of
hydrogen atoms into helium atoms

Resources
http://www2.lbl.gov/abc/wallchart/chapters/0
3/2.html (Beta Minus and Beta Plus decay)
http://www.ansto.gov.au/cs/groups/corporate/
documents/document/mdaw/mduw/~edisp/ac
s101171.pdf (includes all decay plus fission
and fusion)