Nuclear Chemistry

•The study of the structure of

atomic nuclei and the changes they
undergo.
 Guiding Questions
Is radiation dangerous?

Is nuclear power a good choice?

What is nuclear energy?

Are nuclear energy and nuclear

bombs both dangerous?
 Radioactive Decay
• Discovered by Antoine Henri Becquerel in
1896
– He saw that photographic plates developed bright
spots when exposed to uranium metals
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Figure 4.1
As you may recall, isotopes are atoms of the
same element that have different numbers of
neutrons.

Isotopes of atoms with unstable nuclei are

called radioisotopes
 Radioactive Isotopes
Stable Isotopes -Atoms that do
not release protons or neutrons
from the nucleus and ARE NOT
RADIOACTIVE.

Unstable Isotopes - Atoms that

spontaneously release protons
and neutrons from its nucleus.
These isotopes ARE
RADIOACTIVE.
 Band of Stability
• The region on a graph
which indicates all
stable nuclei when the
number of neutrons are
compared to the
number of protons for
all stable nuclei
 Nuclear Reactions
• Nuclear reactions are different from chemical
reactions

Chemical Mass is Small No changes in the

Reactions conserved energy nuclei; involve
(doesn’t changes ONLY valance
change) electrons
Nuclear Small Huge protons, neutrons,
Reactions changes in energy electrons and
mass changes gamma rays can be
lost or gained
 Mass Defect
• Some of the mass can be converted into
energy
• Shown by a very famous equation!

E=mc 2

Energy
Mass
Speed of light
 Types of Radiation
• The effect of an electric field on three types of
radiation is shown.
• Positively charged alpha particles are deflected
toward the negatively charged plate.
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Figure 4.2: The penetrating power of radiation.

 Products of Natural Radioactivity

Mass
Particle* Symbol Charge Number Identity

Alpha 4 a 2+ 4 Helium nucleus

2
0
Beta b 1- 0 Electron
-1
0
Gamma g 0 0 Proton of light
0

*Sometimes a stream of any of these types of particles is called a ray, as in gamma ray,
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Figure 4.4: The components of α rays, β rays, and γ rays.

 Types of radioactive decay

• alpha particle
emission
– loss of a helium
nucleus.
 Types of radioactive decay
Beta decay, Nuclear changes that accompany
the emission of a beta particle.
b particle emission

1 1 0
0 n p  e
1 1
 particle emission
• Gamma rays are high-energy (short wavelength) electromagnetic
radiation. They are denoted by the symbol.

• As you can see from the symbol, both the subscript and
superscript are zero.

• Thus, the emission of gamma rays does not change the

atomic number or mass number of a nucleus.

• Gamma rays almost always accompany alpha and beta

radiation, as they account for most of the energy loss that
occurs as a nucleus decays.
 Induced Nuclear Reactions

• Scientists can also force ( = induce) nuclear reactions by

smashing nuclei with alpha, beta and gamma radiation to
make the nuclei unstable

4
2 + 14
7 N  17
8
1
O+ p
1
or
4 14 17 1
2 He + 7 N  8 O+ H
1
 BALANCING NUCLEAR EQUATIONS
1. The sums of mass numbers (left superscripts) on each
side must be equal.
2. The sums of atomic numbers or nuclear charges (left
subscripts) on each side of the equation must be
equal.

Examples:
238
92
U 4
2
He + 234
90
Th

214
82
Pb 0
-1
b + 83 214Bi
 Balancing Nuclear Equations

Complete the following nuclear equations:

1. 217
At 213
Bi + ? 4
He
85 83 2

2. 231
Th 0
b-1 + ? 231
Pa
91
90

3. 208
Tl 0
-1
b + ? 208
Pb
82
81
 Nuclear Reactions
• Two types:
– Fission = the splitting of nuclei
– Fusion = the joining of nuclei (they fuse
together)
• Both reactions involve extremely large
amounts of energy
Albert Einstein’s
equation E = mc2
illustrates the energy
found in even small
amounts of matter
 Nuclear Fission:

• Is the splitting of one heavy nucleus into two or

more smaller nuclei, as well as some sub-atomic
particles and energy.
• A heavy nucleus is usually unstable, due to
many positive protons pushing apart.
• When fission occurs:
1.Energy is produced.
2.More neutrons are given off.
 Nuclear Fission

• Neutrons are used to make nuclei unstable

– It is much easier to crash a neutral neutron than a positive proton
into a nucleus to release energy.
 Nuclear Fission
Complete the following nuclear equations:

(a) 238
U + 1n 239
U + ?

(b) 9
Be + 1H 6
Li + ?

(c) 9
Be + 4He C + ?
12
Fission
produces
a chain
reaction
 Nuclear Fusion
• joining of two light nuclei into The
fusion of
one heavier nucleus. hydroge
n nuclei

– In the core of the Sun, two

hydrogen nuclei join under
tremendous heat and pressure to
form a helium nucleus.
– When the helium atom is formed,
huge amounts of energy are
released.
• Scientists cannot yet find a safe, and
manageable method to harness the energy of
nuclear fusion.
– “cold fusion” would occur at temperatures and
pressures that could be controlled (but we haven’t
figured out how to get it to happen)
 Nuclear Fusion

Complete the following nuclear equations, thought

to be the source of the energy of some stars.
(a) 1H + 12C ?
(b) 13N 13
C + ?
(c) 13C + 1H ?
(d) 1H + 14N ?
(e) 15O 15
N + ?
(f) 15N + 1H 12
C + ?
 Applications
• Medicine
– Chemotherapy
– Power pacemakers
– Diagnostic tracers
• Agriculture
– Irradiate food
– Pesticide
• Energy
– Fission
– Fusion
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy Robert Maass/Corbis Images

X-ray examination of luggage at a security station.

 Food Irradiation

•Food can be irradiated with g rays from

60
Co or 137Cs.
•Irradiated milk has a shelf life of 3 mo.
without refrigeration.
•USDA has approved irradiation of meats
and eggs.
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy Custom Medical

Stock Photo

An image of a thyroid gland obtained through the use of radioactive iodine.

 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy CNRI/Phototake

Images of human lungs obtained from a γ-ray scan.

 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy Kelley Culpepper/Transparencies, Inc.

A cancer patient receiving radiation therapy.

 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy Scott Camazine/Photo

Researchers

The world’s first atomic explosion, July 16, 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico.
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy Shigeo Hayashi

Remains of a building after the explosion of the uranium bomb at Hiroshima, August 6, 1945.
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy David Bartruff/Corbis Images

Cooling towers of a nuclear power plant.

 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy Sipa Press

The nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, after the accident of April 16, 1986.
 Challenges of Nuclear Power
• Disposal of waste products
 Challenges of Nuclear Power
»Disposal of waste products

• Hazardous wastes produced by nuclear reactions

are problematic.
– Some waste products, like fuel rods, can be re-used
– Some products are very radioactive, and must be
stored away from living things.
• Most of this waste is buried underground, or stored in
concrete
• It takes 20 half-lives (thousands of years) before the
material is safe.
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy Yucca Mountain Project

Construction of a tunnel that will be used for burial of radioactive wastes deep within Yucca
Mountain, Nevada.
 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy Matthew Neal McVay/Stone/Getty

Images

Disposal of radioactive wastes by burial in a shallow pit.

 © 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers

Courtesy AP/Wide World Photos

Albert Einstein, he discovered the equation that relates mass and energy.