RADIOACTIVITY

CHAPTER 5

Spontaneous
The rate of decay cannot be
increase or reduced, it cannot be
controlled
The decay happens on its own

Random

It is impossible
to predict which
atom will decay
at any moment of
The decay is not affected by its time
Each atom has
chemical composition
the same
The decay is not affected by
probability of
physical factors such as
decaying at any
temperature and pressure
moment of time

Alpha decay
Helium. It has 2 proton and 2
neutrons.
4
2

He

when alpha decay occurs, the radioactive

parent nucleus loses two protons and two
neutrons which carry away energy
A
Z

A 4
Z 2

Y He

Parent Daughter
nucleus nucleus

4
2

Particles

Beta decay
electron with a charge of -1e

when beta decay occurs, a neutron

disintegrates into a proton and an electron
according to1 the equation
1
0
0
1
1

n p e

the proton stays in the nucleus but the

electron is shot out of the nucleus at high
speed.
A
A
0
Z

X Z 1Y 1 e

Parent
nucleus

Daughter Particles
nucleus

Gamma Emission
As the protons and neutrons
rearrange to become more stable,
they lose energy. This is emitted as a
burst of gamma emission
Since gamma emission is not a
particle but an electromagnetic
radiation there is no change in the
proton number and nucleon number.
A
Z

Higher
energy

X X
A
Z

Lower
energy

Detection of Nuclear
Radiation
Most methods of detecting nuclear
radiation are based on these two
properties:
The ionising effect of the radiation
The ability of the radiation to blacken a
photographic plate or film

Photographic Plate or film

Works on the principle that radioactive
radiation can cause a chemical change
on the plate and produce a dark trace.
A plate or film is coated with silver
bromide
Radioactive radiations will strike the
coating and reduce the silver ions, Ag+
to silver atom, Ag
Ag+ +
e-

Ag

 The silver produced is black in colour

The degree of blackness on the
plates or film gives an indication the
intensity of the radiation.
Can detect all types of radioactive
radiation.
Used in other fields of research like
crystallography, nuclear physics and
radiography

 When electrons are added to neutral

atoms, negative ions are formed. But
when electrons are removed from
neutral atoms, positive ions is formed.
Radiation from radioactive elements
causes ionisation of atoms in air by
knocking electrons off atoms.

Alpha particle passes

near atoms

A few
hundred m

 The cloud chamber shows the path

travelled by the ionising radiation in
air.
In the cloud chamber, the radiation
produces ions in the air that is
saturated with alcohol vapour.
The alcohol vapour condenses on the
ions to make the tracks of the
radiation visible.

 Very sensitive & useful detector of

radiation.
Operates about 450 V.
The radioactive emission enters the
tube through the mica window &
ionises the argon gas.
Electrons & positive ions are
attracted towards the anode and
cathode respectively.
When electrons are collected by the
anode, a pulse of current is
produced.

 The scaler gives the number of

counts over a certain period of time.
The ratemeter gives the count rate in
counts per second or counts per
minute.
Initially the GM tube is switched on
without the presence of any
radioactive substance. The initial
reading displayed is known as the
background count rate.
When the GM tube is used to detect
radioactive emission, the background

 Activity or reactivity mean the rate

of decay of the material
Use of half-life:
Industries field
Medicine field

1. Krypton-89 has a half life of 3.2

minutes. A radioactive sample
contains 128g of krypton-89.
Determine the mass of krypton89 that has not decayed after 9.6
minutes.

2. The radioactive atoms in a

substance decay to become
stable atoms. It was found that
after 488s, 93.75% of the atoms
have decayed. What is the halflife of the substance?

3. A sample of silicon-31 of mass

120g has a half life of 2.62 hours.
a) What is the fraction of the
sample that has not decayed
after 7.86 hours?
b) What is the mass of the silicon31 that has not decayed after
this period of time

5.3 Understanding the uses of

Radioisotopes
o Properties
Emits radioactive radiation
Radioactive radiation can kill cells
Radioactive radiations have different
penetrating ability with materials of
different thickness and densities

 Radioactive radiations can cause

cell mutation
Its activity decrease with time
Radioisotopes have the same
chemical properties as nonradioactive isotopes of the same
element

Thickness control

check thickness of rolled sheets of metal,

rubber, paper or plastic.
Amount of radiation received by detectors
depends on the thickness of the sheets.
(example: too thin, reading increases)
A signal is sent from the roller control to the
rollers so that the pressure on the sheets
can be reduced.

To detect leaks in underground water pipes

The movement of liquids in complicated

factory systems can be detected by
dissolving radioactive salt which contains
sodium-24. The beta particles emitted are

5.4 Understanding Nuclear

Energy
Atomic Mass Unit (a.m.u)
Is used to measure the masses of
atomic particles
1 a.m.u. or 1 u
=

Mass of carbon-12 atom

12

Mass of carbon-12 = 1.99x10-26 kg

1 a.m.u. or 1 u
=

1.99x1026

12

Nuclear Energy
Transmutation ----in a radioactive
decay, one element changes into
another element
Mass of daughter particles are less
than parent particle.
The lost is converted into energy
According to Einsteins Principle of
mass energy conservation,
E = mc2

Nuclear Fission
Is a process involving the splitting
of a heavy nucleus into two nuclei
of roughly equal mass and
shooting out several neutrons at
the same time
Seldom occurs spontaneously
It occurs when the heavy nucleus
is bombarded by a neutron
Induced fission ----neutron
absorption
Spontaneous fission-----without

Nuclear Fusion
Two or more small and light nuclei
come together to form a heavier
nucleus
This process is accompanied by
the release of a huge amount of
energy
Very difficult to achieve because of
hydrogen nuclei must be heated to
108 K or more to overcome the
electrical repulsion between the
nuclei

NUCLEAR REACT

Gas passing through the Heat energy from the hot

Reactor core is heated up gas boils the water into
steam
Fission of
uranium-235
Nuclei produces
energy in
the form of heat

Turbines
turn the
Flow of steam
Coils in
drives the
the
turbines
generator
to
produce
Cold gas goes back to the
electricity
reactor core to be heatedSteam condenses back to
again
water

Process involved in the

generation of electricity from
nuclear fission
Nuclear
Energy
From
fission

Heat
carried
by the
hot gas

Kinetic
Energy
of the
steam

Kinetic
energy
of the
turbines

Electrical
Energy

Safety precautions in the handling of

radioactive substances

1. State the two effects of radiation.

2. You are carrying out an activity using solid
and liquid radioactive sources. The
radioactive sources have long half-lives.
Among the apparatus you used are
forceps, rubber gloves, plastic tray and
apron.
(a) List the precautionary procedures that need
to be observed during the activity.
(b) Describe what steps you would take after
the activity to ensure your own safety and
the safety of other users of the laboratory

3. Name 3 types of waste management.

Answer scheme:
Q1
1. Somatic effect
2. Genetic effect

Q2
(a) Wear the apron at all times
- wear the rubber gloves at all
times.
- use the forceps to handle the solid
source
-The activities involving the liquid
radioactive
source must be carried in the
plastic tray to
contain any possible spillage of

(b)- Dispose of the rubber gloves

following the correct procedures.
- Wash the forceps and plastic tray
thoroughly.
- Store the radioactive sources in lead
boxes and lock them in a cupboard.
- Wash your hands and arms.

Q3
1. Low-level waste management
2. Intermediate-level waste
management
3. High-level waste management

Exercises
1. A piece of bone found at an
archaeological site has a Carbon14 activity which was 6.25 % of
the activity from a live animal.
What is the age of the bone? [Half
life of carbon-14= 5730 years]

2. The following equation shows the

fission of uranium-235

Calculate the energy released by the

fission of one uranium-235 nucleus.
[mass of a neutron=1.008665 u;
Atomic mass of U-235 =235.043925 u;
Atomic mass of Xe-140= 139.921620 u;
Atomic mass of Sr-94 = 93.9153567 u;
1 u =1.66X 10-27 kg; c= 3.00 X 108 ms-1 ]

3. The decay of carbon-14 is given by

the equation:

What is the energy released ?

[ Mass of Carbon-14= 14.003242 u;
Mass of N-14 = 14.003074 U,
1U= 1.66 X10-27 kg, c=3.00 X 108 ms-1]