Download Radioactive Decay Series

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In your own
words try to
explain a radio
active decay
series
Radioactive
Decay
Series
Decay Series
One nuclear reaction very rarely
enough to produce a stable
nuclide.
A decay series is a series of
radioactive nuclides produced
by successive radioactive decay
until a stable nuclide is reached.
Stop and Think
1.Why do radio active decay series occur?
2.What causes the decay series of a particular isotope to come to
an end?
Parent and Daughter Nuclides
The parent nuclide is the heaviest
nuclide of each decay series.
The daughter nuclides are the
nuclides or new elements that are
produced by decay of the parent
nuclide.
All naturally occurring nuclides with
atomic numbers greater than 83 are
radioactive
Natural Decay Series
There are three natural decay series, they begin with the parent
nuclides of uranium-238, uranium-235, and thorium-232
Stop and Think
1.Describe a parent nuclide
2. Describe a daughter nuclide
3.How many daughter nuclides are produced from one parent
nuclide?
Artificial Transmutation
Artificial transmutation is the changing of
the identity of a nucleus that is not
occurring naturally
Artificial transmutation happens by
bombarding the nuclei with charged or
uncharged particles
Great quantities of energy is required to
bombard the nuclei with these particles
because of the repulsive forces that exist
in the nuclei
Stop and Think
1.Describe transmutation
2.Describe artificial transmutation
3.How does artificial transmutation happen?
4.Explain why such a great quantity of energy is need in artificial
transmutation
Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fission is when a very heavy nuclei splits into more stable
nuclei of intermediate mass.
This process can happen spontaneously or from
nuclear bombardment
The process releases enormous amounts of usable energy
The energy is converted from the change in mass from the heavy
nuclei to the lighter daughter nuclei
Stop and Think
1.What is nuclear fission?
2.How does nuclear fission happen?
3.What is the purpose of intentional or artificial nuclear fission?
Nuclear Chain Reaction
A chain reaction is a reaction in
which the material that starts the
reaction is also one of the products
and can start another reaction.
A critical mass is the minimum
amount of nuclides that provide
the number of neutrons needed to
maintain a chain reaction
Stop and Think
1.Describe a chain reaction
2.Why is the critical mass so important?
Nuclear Chain Reaction
Atomic bombs are produced from
the explosive energy from
uncontrolled chain reactions.
Nuclear reactors use controlled
fission chain reactions to produce
energy and radioactive nuclides
Nuclear Power Plants
Converts the heat
produced by nuclear
fission into electrical
energy
The five main
components of the
nuclear power plant
are shielding, control
rods, moderator and
coolant, and fuel.
Nuclear Chain Reaction
In nuclear fusion, low mass
nuclei combine to form a
heavier, more stable nucleus.
Releases more energy that
nuclear fission
Unlike fission, nuclear fusion
cannot be controlled
Nuclear Chain Reaction
Nuclear fusion happens in our
sun and stars,
Hydrogen atoms come together
under extreme temperatures
and pressure to produce the
helium atom with a loss of mass
and release of energy.
Stop and Think
The sun and stars are finite objects ( they have a beginning and an
end). How does studying nuclear chemistry help to understand
this phenomenon?