Name:

Section:

Learning Task No. 3: Nuclear Chemistry

Identify the following types of nuclear radiation
0 4 0
1. 1 e 2. 2 He 3. 0 γ
4. Has no mass or charge, almost always follows α or β decay
5. Occurs when a neutron breaks apart and forms a proton
6. Least penetrating nuclear decay
7. Most damaging nuclear decay to the human body
8. Nuclear decay that can be stopped by skin or paper.
9. Nuclear decay that can be stopped by aluminum.
10. As a result, a proton is transformed into a neutron
11. The opposite of beta decay
12. Type of decay isotopes >Z83 will undergo

Complete the following nuclear equations.

42 0 239 4
13. 19 K →-1 e + __________ 16.
94 2 Pu → He +
__________

9 9 235 231
14. 4 Be 4→ Be + __________ 9217. U → 90 _________ +
Th

142 1
15. 63 Li 4
→
2
He + __________ 18. __________
56 → 91
36
Ba
0 +
Kr + 3 n

Nuclear Decay Series

   The figure maps the
↑ ↑ ↑ radioactive decay of uranium-
238
92 U  234
90 Th  234
91 Pa  234
92 U
238 to lead-206. Use the

↑

↑

↑
↓   figure to answer the following
questions.
218
Po
84  222
88 Rn  226
90 Pa  230
92 Th

19. How many alpha particles


 ↓   
↑ ↑ ↑ are produced as one atom of
214
Pb
82  214
83Bi  214
84 Po  210
82 Pb
uranium-238 decays to an

↑

↑
↓  
atom of lead-206? ___________
206
82 Pb  210
84 Po  210
83 Bi
Stable Iosotope
20. How many beta particles?

21. Explain why lead-206 is a stable isotope.

22. When protactinium-229 goes through two alpha decays, francium-221 is

formed. Write the nuclear equation for this.

23. 90
Sr is an isotope produced from atmospheric testing of nuclear bombs. If nuclear testing was
stopped in 1960, what percentage of radioactivity due to 90Sr remained in 2000? The half-life of 90Sr is
28.5 years.

24. can be transmuted into by a process involving bombardment by _____ and emission
of _____.
a. a neutron; two beta particles
b. two neutrons; a beta particle
c. two neutrons; an alpha particle
d. a neutron; a beta particle
e. a neutron; an alpha particle

25. One of the stablest nuclei is 55Mn. Its nuclidic mass is 54.938 amu. Determine its total binding
energy.