CHEM 1R03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 32: Alpha Beta Gamma, Beta Decay, Alpha Particle

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Chemistry Lecture Thirty-One
Radioactivity and Nuclear Energy
The nucleus has a very small volume compared to the volume of the atom
The mass of an atom is very dense
It is composed of protons and neutrons that are tightly held together —> nucleons
Every atom of an element has the same number protons (neutrons can vary
however) —> atomic number is the same however the mass can be different
The nucleus of an isotope is called a nuclide and each is identified by a symbol
which is written as “element dash mass number or X-Z”
Radioactive nuclei spontaneously decomposes into smaller nuclei which is called
radioactive decay
Radioactive nuclei are unstable
Decomposing involves the nuclide emitting a particle and/or energy
During radioactive decay, atoms of one element are changed into atoms of a
different element
In order for one element to change into another, the number of protons in the
nucleus must change
All nuclides with 84 or more protons are radioactive
We describe nuclear change with using nuclear equations
Both atomic numbers and mass numbers are conserved
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