NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY Nuclear Chemistry

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Nuclear chemistry is the sub discipline of chemistry that is concerned with changes in the nucleus of elements.

Nuclear chemistry is the subfield of chemistry dealing with radioactivity, nuclear processes and nuclear properties.

Nuclear chemistry is the study of the atomic nuclei and the changes it undergoes.

Nuclear Chemistry

Nuclear chemistry affects many aspects of our lives every day.

Without nuclear chemistry, life could not exist.

The Discovery o Ra!ioactivity 1895 1898

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"ilhelm Roent#en

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!ound that invisible rays were emitted when electrons bombarded the surface of certain materials.

Antoine Henri $ec%uerel

"ccidentally discovered that phosphorescent uranium salt produces spontaneous emissions that dar#ened photographic plate. $e saw that photographic plates developed bright spots when exposed to uranium metals.

Marie S&lo!o's&a Curie

" pioneer of %adioactivity.

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&n 1898, discovered the elements polonium and radium. 'oined the term radioactivity. Winner of the sole 1911 Nobel (ri)e in'hemistry.

Ra!ioactivity

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Ra!iation

&s the term given to the brea#ing up *decay+ or rearrangement of an atom,s nucleus. -ecay occurs naturally and spontaneously to unstable nuclei. .his instability is usually caused by a mismatch (et'een the num(er o )rotons an! neutrons.

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&s the term given to a travelling particle or wave. " penetrating ray and particles emitted by a radioactive source. &t can be split into three main types/ Non ioni)ing radiation &oni)ing radiation Neutrons

C*SMIC AND TERRESTRIAL RADIATI*N Cosmic Ra!iation+ results from the interaction of cosmic rays with the upper layers of the 0arth,s atmosphere.

Terrestrial Ra!iation+ is due to the presence of highly radioactive substances rising to 0arth,s surface from the crust.

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Ernest Ruther or!

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-iscovered "lpha and 1eta and 2amma rays.

,ames Cha!'ic&

%eceived a Nobel (ri)e in (hysics in 1935 for his discovery of the neutron

Lise Meitner

&nterpreted 4tto $ahn,s experimental observation as conformation that he had

split a uranium nucleus.

,- Ro(ert *))enheimer an! Leslie .roves

"t the remains of a tower used in the test of the first atomic bomb.

Al(ert Einstein

$e discovered the e5uation that relates mass and energy.

Chemical Reaction

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4ccur when bonds are bro#en.

"tom remains unchanged although they may be rearranged.

&nvolve only valence electrons.

"ssociated with small energy changes.

%eaction rate influenced by temperature, particle si)e and concentration.

Nuclear Reaction

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4ccur when nuclei emit particles and6or rays.

"toms often converted into atoms of another element.

7ay involve protons, neutrons and electrons.

"ssociated with large energy changes.

%eaction rate is not influenced by temperature, particle si)e and concentration.

Nuclear Reaction is a process in which two nuclei or nuclear particles collide, to produce different products than the initial particles.

Ty)es o Nuclear Reaction

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%adioactive -ecay alpha, beta and gamma ray emission

Nuclear &ntegration emission of proton and neutron

TY/ES *0 RADI*ACTI1E DECAY

Al)ha Decay

emission of alpha particles. E2am)le 3 838989 : ;8$e < 83;9=.h

$eta Decay emission of beta particles. .his type of decay process leaves the E2am)le 3 3815( : = 1e < 381>? mass number of the nuclei unchanged.

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/ositron Emission .his type of particle production is the E2am)le 3 Na : = 1e < Ne opposite of 1eta particle decay.

.amma Decay emission of electromagnetic energy *gamma rays+. often accompany other processes of decay such as alpha or beta. E2am)le3 838989 : 83;9=.h < 8== < ;8$e

Nuclear 0ission vs Nuclear 0usion

Nuclear 0ission .he word fission means @a splitting or brea#ing up into partsA.

Nuclear fission ta#es place when a large, somewhat unstable isotope is bombarded by high speed particles, usually neutrons. .hese neutrons are accelerated and then slammed into the unstable isotope, causing it to fission, or brea# into smaller particles.

Nuclear 0usion .he word fusion means @a merging of separate elements into a unified wholeA.

Nuclear fusion refers to the @union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous amounts of energyA.

Hal +Li e

.he half life of a radioactive element is the time re5uired for the element to decay to half of the original amount. !or instance, half life is the time period during which half of the atom of a radioactive element undergoes a nuclear process to be reduced into a lighter element.

&n calculating the half life of nuclear elements, we use the formula, = 0.5/1/2

Where "0 B amount of substance left "o B original amount of substance t B elapsed time t168 B half life of the substance

a.

&f you are given 15C grams of 1;', how much of 1;' would be left after 8=== years. .he half life of 1;' is 5C3= years. "0 B 15C D .58===65C3= "mount of 1;' left after 8=== years would be 456 #rams.

b. c.

888

"c has a half life of >.13 hours. $ow much of a 5.= mg sample would remain after one dayE "mount remaining B 5.= mg x *.=>C+ "mount remaining B 7-66 m#

1arium 188 has a half life of 8 minutes. " fresh sample weighing 8= g was obtained. &f it ta#es 1= minutes to set up an experiment using barium 188, how much barium 188 will be left when the experiment beginsE "t the end of 1= minutes *5 half lives+ only 5-8 # are left, the rest has decayed.

d.

&f 1= mg of iodine 131 is given to a patient, how much is left after 8; daysE .he half life of iodine 131 is 8 days. ?ince the half life is 8 days, 8; days corresponds to 3 half lives. "fter one half life 5 mg are leftF after two half lives, 8.5 mgF and after 3 half lives 1.85 mg remain.

e.

'arbon 1; has a half life of 5C3= years and is used to date archaeological obGects.

"ll living organisms have a constant carbon 186carbon 1; ratio. When the organism dies carbon 18 levels remain constant but carbon 1; decays. .he changing carbon 186carbon 1; ratio can be used to determine the date of the artifact. !or example, fresh charcoal made from a tree contains carbon 1; which will give a radioactive count of 46-97 disintegrations per minute per gram of carbon. (rehistoric cave paintings were found in ?pain. " piece of charcoal found in the ancient cave in "ltamira, ?pain gave 4-:7 disintegrations per minute per gram of carbon. !rom this information, determine the age of the cave paintings.

"fter one half life the number of disintegrations will go from 13.>= to >.8=F after two half lives it is 3.;= and after three half lives 1.C=. .herefore 3 half lives have elapsed since the paintings were done. ?ince the half life of carbon 1; is 5C3= years the paintings are about 5C3=x3B1C,19= years old.

f.

.he half life of carbon 1; is 5C3= years. " piece of linen found today contains carbon 1; and gives an activity of 15 counts per minute per gram of carbon. &f an anthropologist found an ancient piece of linen believed to date bac# to the Neolithic period which gave only C.5 counts per minute per gram of carbon, how old is the ancient linen E Ans- 5C3= years

g.

.echnetium 99m is used for brain scans. &f a laboratory receives a shipment of 8== g of this isotope and after 8; hours only 18.5 g of this isotope remain, what is the half life of technetium 99mE Ans- > hours

h.

7ercury 19C is used for #idney scans and has a half life of 3 days. &f the amount of mercury 19C needed for a study is 1.= gram and the time allowed for shipment is 15 days, how much mercury 19C will need to be orderedE

Ans- 38 g

i.

&f the half life of uranium 838 is C= years, how many half lives will it ta#e for 1= g of it to be reduced to 1.85 gE Ans- 3 half lives