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R ADIOACTIVITY

Radioactivity, discovered by Henri Becquerel in 1896, is the process by which unstable atoms emit energy in the form of particles or waves, with examples including uranium and radium. There are three types of radiation: alpha, beta, and gamma, each with distinct properties and detection methods. Radioactive decay occurs at varying rates, characterized by half-life and decay constant, and has numerous applications in medicine, energy, and agriculture.

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13 views18 pages

R ADIOACTIVITY

Radioactivity, discovered by Henri Becquerel in 1896, is the process by which unstable atoms emit energy in the form of particles or waves, with examples including uranium and radium. There are three types of radiation: alpha, beta, and gamma, each with distinct properties and detection methods. Radioactive decay occurs at varying rates, characterized by half-life and decay constant, and has numerous applications in medicine, energy, and agriculture.

Uploaded by

adewuyijoshua36
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RADIOACTIVITY

CHM 101
MISS O.R. OTUN
DISCOVERY OF
RADIOACTIVITY
• Radioactivity was first discovered in 1896 by
Henri Becquerel.
• He accidentally discovered that a
photographic plate placed near uranium salt,
potassium uranyl sulphate (K2UO2(SO4)2)
was blackened by a radiation given off by the
salt. Pierre and Marie Curie confirmed this in
1898 when they extracted polonium Po and
radium Ra which were more intensely
radioactive than uranium. They thereafter
coined the name radioactivity.
• In 1898,Pierre and Marie Curie detected
some radioactivity in Thorium
What is
Radioactivity?
• Radioactivity is a natural and
spontaneous process by which the
unstable atoms of an element emit
or radiate excess energy in the form
of particles or waves.
• Such an element is called a
Radioactive element
• E.gs are Uranium, Radium, Thorium,
Polonium, Plutonium, Radon,
Rubidium etc
• After emission the remaining daughter atom can either be a lower
energy form of the same element or a completely different
element.
e.g

• The emitted particles or waves are called ionising radiation


because they have the ability to remove electrons from the atoms
of any matter they interact with.
TYPES OF
RADIATION
1) Alpha ( α) Radiation
2) Beta ( 𝛽 ) Radiation
3) Gamma (⋎) Radiation
Examples of Radiation Reaction
Summary of the properties of the different
radiation types
Alpha ray Beta ray Gamma ray

Nature Helium nuclei Electrons Electromagnetic


radiation
Electrical charge +2 -1 No charge

Mass 4 units 1/1840 unit No mass

Velocity About 1/20 the speed of Varies from 3-99% of the Speed of light
light speed of light

Relative Penetration 1 100 10000

Absorber Thin paper Metal paper Large Lead block


Detection of Radiation
1) Geiger-Muller counter
2) Scintillation counter
3) Diffusion cloud chamber
Geiger-Muller Counter
• Detects radiation based on the fact that radiation ionizes gas
molecules, producing charged particles.
• The device consists of an ionization chamber (a gas-filled tube)into
into which 2 metal electrodes are sealed.
• When an ionizing particle enters the chamber some of the gas atoms
gets ionized which creates a measurable electric pulse.
• This detector can detect α, β, and γ radiation and can also be used to
measure the intensity of radiation.
• Advantages: Simple, portable, and inexpensive.
Scintillation Counter

• Works based on the fact that radiation excites atoms,


which emit light upon returning to the ground state.
• This detector uses a scintillating material (e.g., Sodium
Iodide, Zinc sulphide) to emit light when struck by
radiation. The emitted light is made up of tiny flashes of
light/ scintillations detected by a photomultiplier tube
(PMT).
• It is effective for detecting β and γ radiation.
• Advantages: High efficiency and energy resolution.
Diffusion cloud chambers
• This is used for detecting the actual paths. Followed by the
individual α- and 𝛽- particles.
• These ionizing particles are allowed to pass through a gas which has
been super saturated with water vapour.
• The ions formed in the track of the ionizing particles act like dust,
serving as centres for the condensation of the water vapour.
• As a result, the path of the particle is revealed as a visible vapour trail.
• The tracks persist long enough to be photographed so that a permanent
record of the movements of each α- and 𝛽- particle through the gas
can be obtained
Radioactive Decay

•Radioactive decay is the random process in


which a nucleus loses energy by emitting
radiation.
1)Alpha decay
2)Beta decay
3)Gamma decay
Summary of the types of decay, along with their
equations and changes in atomic and mass numbers.
Rate of Radioactive Decay
• Radioactive elements decay at different rates.
• The rate of radioactive decay is used to characterize a radioactive element.
• The rate of radioactive decay is expressed in terms of the half-life of a radioactive element.
• The rate of decay of a radioactive element is expressed in terms of the decay constant, k.
• Experiments have shown that the rate of radioactive decay is first order and is therefore given

!" $#
• log =
!# %.'('

• where [A]o is the initial amount of the radioactive element;

• [A]t , is the concentration of radionuclide at time, t.


Unit of Radioactive Decay
• The rate at which a radioactive nuclide decays/disintegrate is
called its Activity.
• The unit of activity (radioactive decay) is the becquerel
named after the discoverer of radioactivity.
• 1 Bq = 1 disintegration per second this is a small unit,
• Activity is more usually measured in:
kilobecquerel (kBq) = 103 Bq
Megabecquerel (MBq) = 106 Bq
Gigabecquerel (GBq) = 109 Bq
Terabecquerel (TBq) = 1012Bq
Half-life
• The half-life, t1/2 of a radioactive element is the time taken for half of the total number
of atoms in a given sample of the element to decay.

• For first-order kinetics,

!.#$%
• t1/2=
&

• Half-life is not affected by, concentration, temperature etc., and serves as a measure of
the stability of the element, longer half-life indicates more stability.
• An isotope’s half-life allows us to determine how long a sample of a useful isotope
will be available, and how long a sample of an undesirable or dangerous isotope must
be stored before it decays to a low-enough radiation level that is no longer a problem.
Exercise
1) Calculate the rate constant for the radioactive disintegration of cobalt-60, an isotope used in cancer therapy.
Co 60 27 decays with a half-life of 5.2 years to produce Ni 60 28.

2) Calculate the fraction and the percentage of a sample of the Co 60 27 isotope that will remain after 15 years.
Uses of Radioisotopes
1) It is used in medicine for treatment of certain types of
cancer. Also in radiography.
2) Radioisotopes are used as fuel in nuclear reactors to
generate electricity.
3) Gamma radiation is used in non-destructive testing (NDT)
to inspect welds and detect material flaws.
4) Radioactive sources are used for sterilizing medical
equipment and food preservation
5) In Agriculture, they are used in the destruction of pests
by irradiation.

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