Physics Nuclear Physics 6.1 - 6.5 Flashcards
Explain what the nucleon number is
It is the sum of all the particles within the nucleus which can also be called mass number
If a stable atom has 4 protons, how many electrons does it have?
It has 4 electrons, the number of protons is always equal to the number of electrons unless it has lost some electrons. An atom can never lose protons
What does the 12 and 6 stand for in ¹²C₆
The 12 is the nucleon number or mass number and the 6 is the proton number or atomic number
What is ionization
Ionization is when an atom loses an electron or gains an electron to become either a positive or negatively charged ion
How does ionization happen
Ionization happens when an electron gains too much energy from electromagnetic radiation and jumps off it’s shell leaving the atom which then becomes a positive ion, or an electron could jump onto one of the shells of the atom causing it to become a negative ion
How does the symbol of a lithium + ion look like
One less electron on its shells which leaves an empty shell
What charge does a proton, electron, and neutron have respectively?
Proton: +1
Electron: -1
Neutron: no charge or 0
Name 4 things an unstable isotope could emit
Alpha, Beta, or gamma radiation and neutrons
What is alpha radiation and what are alpha particles
Alpha radiation is when an atom decays and emits two electrons and two protons forming an alpha particle. They can barely penetrate a sheet of paper due to its large size but is strongly ionizing because it can easily knock an electron off a shell due to it’s size. It has the same nucleus as a helium atom and has a charge of +2 because they have no electrons at all. They don’t travel far in air
What is beta radiation and what are beta particles
Beta radiation happens when a neutron decays into a proton and an electron which then gets thrown at high speeds leaving the proton at the nucleus. This electron is the beta particle having a charge of -1. It is moderately ionizing due to it’s size and can require 5mm of aluminum to stop it. They can travel several meters in air
What is gamma radiation
Gamma radiation is extra electromagnetic radiation that is usually emitted after a decay happens. Gamma radiation or gamma rays have no mass, no charge and have the weakest ionizing effect and can travel far
What causes neutron radiation?
When an atom has too many neutrons causing it to become unstable, it can emit a neutron to make it more stable
What happens during the alpha decay of Uranium 238?
It loses 4 from its nucleon number or mass number and 2 from its proton number or atomic number because it emits 2 electrons and 2 protons
What happens during the beta decay of Uranium 238?
Its nucleon or mass number remains the same as the neutron that decayed was replaced by a proton but its proton number increases adding to those that were originally there.
What happens during the gamma decay of uranium 238
Basically nothing, uranium 238 becomes uranium 238 + a gamma ray because gamma rays are basically just energy
