_____________________________________________________________________CHEM 100 LECTURE

UNIT 14 NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY

Chapter 26 in Chemistry by Whitten

 elements with atomic number greater than 83 are radioactive

Balancing Nuclear Equations

Types of particle emissions:

4
2 α alpha – atomic mass decreases by 4; atomic number decreases by 2
212
84 Po  4
2  + 208
82 Pb

0
1 β beta – atomic number increases by 1, no change in mass number
137
55 Cs  0
1  + 137
56 Pb
0
1 β positron – atomic number decreases by 1, no change in mass number
78
33 Cs  0
1  + 78
32 Ge

Nuclear Stability - neutron to proton ratio (n/p); stable: close to 1

- if the ratio is high, more neutrons are needed to counteract strong repulsions
 to lower the ratio:  particle emission
 to increase the ratio: positron emission

Nuclear Binding Energy

 energy required to break up a nucleus into its component protons and neutrons

Detecting Radiation
1. photographic detection
2. detection by fluorescence
3. cloud chambers
4. gas ionization counters

Natural Radioactivity
 obey first order kinetics

half-life – time it takes for the concentration to be reduced to half the initial value

Radioactive Dating
1. carbon dating – based on 14C to 12C ratio
2. U-238 - based on 206Pb to 238U ratio

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_____________________________________________________________________CHEM 100 LECTURE

Medicinal Uses
1. cobalt radiation for treatment of cancer
2. radioactive tracers
3. positron emission tomography

Other Uses
1. agricultural
2. industrial
3. research

Nuclear Fission
 heavy nucleus divides to form smaller nuclei and free neutrons
 accompanied by release of large amounts of energy

1. atomic bomb
2. nuclear reactors
a. light water reactors – used U3O8
b. heavy water reactors
c. breeder reactors
3. hazards
a. nuclear fuel and wastes are radioactive
b. waste disposal
c. leakage/ explosion : meltdown/accident risk
d. thermal pollution
e. potential for theft

Nuclear Fusion
 combining small nuclei into larger ones
1. sun
2. fusion reactor
3. H-bomb

 advantage: - fuel is cheap and inexhaustible; little radioactive waste

 problem: - how to hold the nuclei long enough at proper temp for fusion to occur;
- how to contain 100M °C

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