Radioactivity

Radioactivity

Radioactivity-
the process in which an
unstable atomic nucleus emits (or sends
out) charged particles and energy
Nuclear Decay

Nuclear decay atoms of one element

can change into atoms of a different
element altogether
Nuclear
Radiation
Nuclear radiation
charged particles and
energy that are
emitted from the nuclei
of radioisotopes
Types of
Radiation
Types of
Radiation
How is
radiation
measured?
 Radiation exposure
measured in Milliseiverts
A Brief History of
Radiation Discoveries
X-rays
Wilhelm Roentgen -In 1895 while he was experimenting, he observed certain
rays were emitted while passing current through discharge tube. The emission
of rays illuminated a barium platinocyanide covered screen fluorescent when
it was placed in the path of the rays, two meters away from discharge tube.
X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation emitted when matter is
bombarded by fast electrons.
Marie & Pierre Curie & Henri Becquerel

The discovery of Radium & Polonium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmU2Nd
YrVD8&t=7s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEV4KJBJ
vEg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6JFRi0Q
m_s
 Thorium, Frederick Soddy & Ernest Rutherford

Rutherford and Soddy collaborated to investigate the nature of radioactivity.

Both were awarded the Nobel Prize for contributions to chemistry.
Rutherford for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements and
the chemistry of radioactive substances and was renowned for his gold foil
experiment.
Types of Radiation
Types of Nuclear Decay Alpha

Alpha decay release of alpha particles during radioactive decay

An alpha particle is a positively charged particle made up of 2 protons
and 2 neutrons (the same as a Helium nucleus)
This changes the nucleus resulting in a different element with an atomic
number decreased by 2 and a mass number decreased by 4
For example: Po Pb + He

Least penetrating; a sheet of paper can stop it

Alpha
Decay
Types of Nuclear Decay Beta

Beta decay- occurs when a radioactive nucleus releases a high-speed

electron
Beta particles are electrons
More penetrating than alpha particles
Stopped by sheet of aluminum foil
The result is to increase the original atomic number by one, but leave the
mass number of the new nucleus unchanged
For example: Technetium-98 is converted into Ruthenium-98
Tc Ru + e
Types of
Nuclear
Decay
Beta
Types of Nuclear Decay- Gamma

Gamma rays- strong electromagnetic waves with very high frequency and
energy
Penetrating rays; not particles
Most penetrating; dangerous to us
No mass, no charge
Travel at the speed of light
Several centimeters of lead or several meters of concrete are required to
stop these rays
Types of
Nuclear
Decay-
Gamma
Gamma
Waves &
Black
Holes
Gamma
Waves &
Black
Holes
 Astronomers using data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
have detected hints of periodic changes in the brightness of a so-called
"active" galaxy, whose emissions are powered by a supersized black hole.
If confirmed, the discovery would mark the first years-long cyclic gamma-
ray emission ever detected from any galaxy, which could provide new
insights into physical processes near the black hole

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2015-11-fermi-mission-hints-gamma-

ray-galaxy.html#jCp
Radioisotopes
Radioisotope Half-life

Half-life: time required for half of the original substance to decay; rates are
constant for a given radioisotope
Polonium-214= less than a thousandth of a second
Uranium-238 = 4.5 billion years
Disposal of used nuclear materials must be studied from the standpoint of
the time needed for radioactive products to convert into stable nuclei
Radioisotope Half-life
Lets Calculate Radioisotope Half-life

Iridium-182 has a half-life of 15 minutes. If you start with 1 gram of Iridium-

182, how much is left after 45 minutes?
Half-life elapsed = Total time of decay
Half-life
= 45 minutes = 3 half-lives elapsed
15 minutes
x x = 1/8
1 gram x 1/8 = 0.125 grams of Iridium would remain
Lets Calculate Radioisotope Half-life

Ifyou start with 1 gram of

Radon-222 (half-life of ~ 4
days), how much would
remain after 8 days?
Lets Calculate Radioisotope Half-life

Ifyou start with 5 grams of

Iodine-131 (half-life of 8 days),
how much would remain after
32 days?
Carbon Dating

Carbon dating- using Carbon-14 (half-life of

5730 years) to date fossils
Plants take in C-14 as they respire (in CO2)
When an organism dies, its C-14 decays without
replacement
By measuring the amount of C-14 remaining in
a fossil or skeleton, scientists can determine the
approximate age of the material
Only remains within the last 50,000 years have
enough C-14 left to measure
Nuclear Fission

Nuclear fission- the

splitting of an atomic
nucleus into fragments
whose combined mass
is slightly less than that
of the original nucleus
Nuclear Fission

This derives Nuclear

Power.
Small loss of mass is
converted into large
amounts of energy
Only large nuclei with
atomic numbers above
90 can undergo
nuclear fission
Nuclear Fission

In a fission reactor,
Chain reaction -
the splitting is U-235 is a commonly
ongoing series of
controlled by slowing used fuel with krypton
fissions reactions
down the fast-moving and barium as
resulting in release of
neutrons, which are a products (reactants
tremendous amount
product of the products)
of energy
reaction
Nuclear Fission

Fission bomb (atomic bomb): the result of

an uncontrolled fission reaction in which
the released neutrons spontaneously
support continued reactions
Requires a critical mass of the material
but a huge amount of energy is released
First atomic bomb in 1945 contained
5kg (about 11 lbs) of Plutonium-239 but
produced an explosion that was
equivalent to 18,600 tons of TNT
The Development of the Atomic Bomb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc2X
nvSN2HY
Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear fusion- combining of two nuclei to form

one nucleus of slightly less total mass
Again, the missing mass is converted into large
amount of energy
Difficult to induce because extremely high
temperatures are required (such as found on
the sun)
Nuclear Fusion

Reactionthat powers
the sun can be
broken down into the
combining of four
hydrogen nuclei into
one helium nucleus,
two electrons and
energy
Nuclear Fusion
Scientists have not found a
way to make fusion reactors
successful on a large scale

If they could, fusion could

supply our energy needs
using low-cost available fuel
with fewer environmental
problems than fossil fuels
(coal, oil) combustion or
fission
Nuclear Fusion

Hydrogen bombs (fusion

powered) have been
Hydrogen is the most developed but require a
abundant element in the fission bomb to be
universe exploded within a sample
of a hydrogen isotope to
trigger the fusion reaction
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear reactor- uses the energy from
a controlled nuclear fission chain
reaction to generate electricity
INCLUDES Nuclear fuel, rods and
cooling systems, core
Rods containing boron or cadmium
are used to absorb some of the
neutrons and slow reaction
Neutrons being absorbed by U-235
Undergoes fission and releases more
neutrons; reactions continues
Produces about 20% of the electricity
in the US
Nuclear Energy
Pros-
Less harmful to environment than the use of
fossil fuels
Produces no air pollution
Doesnt produce CO2
Doesnt contribute to global warming
Nuclear Energy
Cons-
Mining of uranium and extraction of U-235 does cause environmental
damage
Water circulated around the core has to be cooled before sent back into
environment
Possible escape of harmful radiation from power plants (Chernobyl; Three
Mile Island)
Nuclear wastes-radioactive by-products that result when radioactive
materials are used
Storage of used fuel rods while they decay
Disposal of reactor itself when it no longer runs as it should
Nuclear
Disasters-
Three Mile
Island, NJ
Nuclear Disasters-Chernobyl
Nuclear Disasters-Chernobyl
The Chernobyl disaster, was
a catastrophic nuclear accident. It
occurred on 26 April 1986 in the
No.4 reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant near Pripyat, in Ukrainian (USSR).
Nuclear
Disasters-
Chernobyl
Nuclear
Disasters-
Fukushima
Daiichi