HW 3D - Radio Active Isotopes

Hour _____ Name _________________________

1. How does an unstable nucleus release energy?

Transmutation Reactions
The conversion of an atom of one element to an
atom of another element is called transmutation.
There are at least two ways that transmutation
occurs, by radioactive decay and when particles
bombard the nucleus of an atom.

2. What are the three main types of nuclear

radiation?

6. Complete these nuclear equations by writing the

symbols of the missing particles resulting from
nuclear decay.

_______________________________________

242
94

_______________________________________

Pu

4
2

He +

_______

What type of decay is represented above? Alpha | Beta

_______________________________________

28
12

Mg

0
-1

e +

_______

What type of decay is represented above? Alpha | Beta

3. What part of the atom changes during radioactive

decay?

_______

4
2

He +

257
100

Fm

What type of decay is represented above? Alpha | Beta

4. How is the atomic number and atomic mass

number of a nucleus changed by:

c. gamma decay

5. Which of the three kinds of radiation discussed in

class is the most penetrating?

0
-1

211
83

Bi

What type of decay is represented above? Alpha | Beta

a. alpha decay

b. beta decay

_______

7. Cesium-137, 137
55 Cs is one of the radioactive
wastes from a nuclear power plant or an atomic
bomb explosion. It emits beta and gamma
radiation. Write the nuclear equation for the
of cesium-137.
decay

8. Marie Curie (1867-1934) earned one of her

Nobel prizes for isolating the element radium,
which soon became widely used to treat cancer.
Radium-226, 226
88 Ra is an alpha and gamma
emitter. Write a balanced nuclear equation for
the decay of radium-226.

11. Pb-210 undergoes a series of alpha and beta

decays to end up eventually as Ir-198. How many
alpha particles and how many beta particles were
emitted in all? Hint: do alphas first, then betas.

= _________

= _________

(Show Work)

9. Write a balanced nuclear equation for each of

these changes
a. Beta emission of Lead-211

b. Alpha emission of Radon-220

10. What particle is produced when a U-234 atom

undergoes a series of two alpha decays and three
beta decays?

12. The earliest artificial transformation was

performed in 1919 by Ernest Rutherford1. He
bombarded nitrogen gas, 147 N , with alpha particles
to produce an unstable isotope of fluorine. The
fluorine isotope quickly decomposes to a stable
isotope of oxygen and a proton, 11 H . Show the

balanced nuclear equations for each of these two

steps.

1 Rutherfords experiment eventually led to the discovery of the

proton. James Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932 by

bombarding Beryllium-9 with alpha particles.