Radioactivity: It is a nuclear phenomenon in which an unstable nucleus undergoes decay or disintegration by emitting certain radiations till some stable

nuclei is formed. The process of emission of radiations is called the radioactivity. The unstable nuclei of an atom naturally undergoes decay in three form which are: (i) (ii) -decay in which an rays are emitted in the form helium nucleus 4 2He. -decay in which -rays are emiited which contains electrons or positrons (particles with the same mass as electrons, but with a charge exactly opposite to that of electron) are emitted; (iii) -decay in which - rays in the form of high energy electromagnetic waves or high energetic photons are emitted.

Properties: rays (i) (ii) rays (also called -particle) consist of Helium Nucleus 4 2He They gets deflected by electric & magnetic field & are positively charged (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) High mass (6.6 x 10-27); four times of a hydrogen atom. Less penetrating power due to high mass. High ionizing power; (100 times of -particle) Effects photographic plates.

-rays: (i) rays (also called -particle) emit either electrons (- decay) or positrons (+ decay). (ii) (iii) They get deflected by electric & magnetic field. Charge & Mass equal to that of electrons. In case of positron emission charge is positive. (iv) (v) high penetrating power; 100 times that of -particle. high ionizing power; (less than particle but 100 times of particle) (vi) (vii) Effects photographic plates. high velocity ( 1% to 99% of velocity of light)

-rays: (i) (ii) rays are highly energetic photons or electromagnetic waves. They do not get deflected by electric & magnetic field & are chargeless. (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) Rest mass is zero. Very high penetrating power ( more than & - particle) ionizing power minimum; (less than & - particle.) Effects photographic plates. high velocity ( equal to velocity of light) can cause nuclear events.

Law of Radioactivity: In any radioactive sample, the number of nuclei undergoing the decay per unit time is proportional to the total number of nuclei in the sample. If N is the total number of nuclei in the sample at any t and DN of it undergo decay in time Dt then,

where is called the radioactive decay constant or disintegration constant. In terms of rate of decay of sample, called activity (A) of the sample the law is expressed as the rate of decay of the of the sample or the change in the nos. of nuclei of the sample at any time is directly proportional to the no. of nuclei present at that time. If N is the no. of nuclei present at time t & dN is the change in N at any time say dt, then as per the law,

As the decay goes on, the original material goes on decreasing and the rate of decay consequently goes on decreasing, hence minus sign in the equation (i).

Here the limits of time goes from 0 to t and the number of nuclei from N0 (number of nuclei at time t = 0) to N.

At time t=0, N=N0, putting these values in above equation, we get c=0 (c an integration constant). Putting c=0, in eq. (ii), we get,

This is the radioactivity equation which gives the value N at any instant t, if the value of N0 (initial no of particles), , t are known. Again, differentiating the above equation we get,

where, A0 = N0 is the decay rate at t = 0 Equation (iii) & (iv) are equivalent. Eq. (iii), gives the no. of nuclei present at any timet & eq. (iv) gives the decay rate of the no. of nuclei of the sample at the same time which is a more direct experimentally measurable quantity. Units of Radioactivity: The curie (Ci): The activity of a radioactive substance is said to be one curie if it undergoes 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations per second. 1 curie = 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations / second (Non SI Unit) The Becquerel (Bq): The activity of a radioactive substance is said to be one Becquerel if it undergoes 1 disintegration per second. 1 Becquerel = 1 disintegration / second 1 curie = 3.7 x 1010 Becquerel

HALF-LIFE: Different radionuclides differ greatly in their rate of decay. To have an idea about the radioactivity of a substance, the notion of half-life is introduced. It is defined as the time required by a radioactive substance to reduce to half of the original mass or number of particles. Let N0 is the is the original no. of nuclei present in any given sample, therefore at first half-life (denoted by T1/2), it reduces to N0/2. Putting N = N0/2 and t = T1/2 in Eq. of Radio-activity, we get

After 1 half life, N =

( )

( ) ( ) ( )

After 2 half life, N =

After 3 half life, N = After n half life, N =

( )

( )
Exponential decay of a radioactive species.

Average Life or Mean Life Not all atoms of a given sample disintegrate together. Some atoms disintegrate right in the beginning for which the lifetime is zero. Therefore the lifetime of atoms, which disintegrate in between, ranges from zero to infinity.

Definition -Average Life or Mean Life The total lifetime of all the atoms of the element divided by the total number of atoms present initially in the sample of the element.

Nuclear fusion: Nuclear fusion is the reaction in which multiple like-charged light atomic nuclei combine together to form a heavier new element with higher atomic (more protons in the nucleus). It is accompanied by the release or absorption of energy. On earth, the most likely fusion reaction is DeuteriumTritium reaction. Deuterium and Tritium are both isotopes of hydrogen.
2 1Deuterium

+ 3 1Tritium = 42He + 10n + 17.6 MeV

Fusion of deuterium with tritium creating helium-4, freeing a neutron, and releasing 17.59 MeV of energy.

Nuclear fission: Nuclear fission is the process in which a massive nucleus when bombarded with a free neutron splits up & forms two or more nuclei of comparable size accompanied by a release of a large amount of energy Energy releases generally in the form of gamma rays, free neutrons, and other subatomic particles. An example of fission is when a uranium isotope
235 92U

bombarded with a neutron

breaks into two intermediate mass nuclear fragments

1 0

141 92 1 n 235 92 U 56 Ba 36 Kr 30 n energy ( 200 MeV)

free neutrons released by each fission event can trigger yet more events, which in turn release more neutrons and cause more fissions, causing chain reaction. Nuclear Fission vs Nuclear Fusion Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission are two different types of energy-releasing reactions in which energy is released from high-powered atomic bonds between the particles within the nucleus. The main difference between these two processes is that fission is the splitting of an atom into two or more smaller ones while fusion is the fusing of two or more smaller atoms into a larger one. Comparison chart Nuclear Fission Nuclear Fusion

Definition:

Fission is the splitting of a large atom into two or more smaller ones.

Fusion is the fusing of two or more lighter atoms into a larger one.

Natural occurrence of the process:

Fission reaction does not normally occur in nature.

Fusion occurs in stars, such as the sun.

Nuclear Fission

Nuclear Fusion

Byproducts of the reaction:

Fission

produces

many

Few radioactive particles are produced by fusion reaction, but if a fission "trigger" is used, radioactive particles will result from that.

highly radioactive particles.

Conditions:

Critical substance

mass of and

the high-

High

density,

high

temperature environment is required.

speed neutrons are required.

Energy Requirement:

Takes little energy to split two atoms in a fission

Extremely high

energy is

required to bring two or more protons close enough that nuclear forces overcome their electrostatic repulsion.

reaction.

Energy Released:

The

energy released

by

The

energy

released

by

fission is a million times greater than that released in chemical reactions, lower than the but energy

fusion is three to four times greater than the energy

released by fission.

released by nuclear fusion.

Nuclear weapon:

One

class

of

nuclear

One class of nuclear weapon is the hydrogen bomb, which uses a fission reaction to "trigger" a fusion reaction.

weapon is a fission bomb, also known as or atom

anatomic bomb bomb.