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Chapter 19: Problem 23

Discuss factors that lead to nuclear decay.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The main factors that lead to nuclear decay are the instability within the atomic nucleus due to imbalance of forces, the type of decay the nucleus is subject to, and potentially certain environmental conditions.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Nuclear Decay

Nuclear decay, also known as radioactive decay, is a spontaneous process by which an unstable nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation. This decay results in the nucleus changing to a more stable state, generating a decay product which is another, more stable, atom.
02

Discuss Unstable Atomic Nuclei

The first factor leading to nuclear decay lies in the atomic nucleus itself. If a nucleus is unstable, it will decay. The stability of an atomic nucleus is determined based on the balance between the attractive strong nuclear force and the repelling electromagnetic force among the protons. If this balance is disturbed, the nucleus becomes unstable and decays.
03

Explore Types of Radioactive Decay

The nature of the decay also depends on the type of decay the nucleus is susceptible to. This can be alpha decay (emission of an alpha particle: 2 protons and 2 neutrons), beta decay (transformation of a neutron into a proton or vice versa), gamma decay (emission of a gamma-ray photon), or many more less common types.
04

Note the Impact of Environmental Conditions

While rate of decay is fundamentally a property of the nucleus itself, in certain rare cases environmental conditions (pressure, temperature, chemical environment) may have influences on certain types of decay.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In \(1997,\) a scientist at a nuclear research center in Russia placed a thin shell of copper on a sphere of highly enriched uranium- \(235 .\) Suddenly, there was a huge burst of radiation, which turned the air blue. Three days later, the scientist died of radiation damage. Explain what caused the accident. (Hint: Copper is an effective metal for reflecting neutrons.)

Describe how you would use a radioactive iodine isotope to demonstrate that the following process is in dynamic equilibrium: $$\mathrm{PbI}_{2}(s) \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{Pb}^{2+}(a q)+2 \mathrm{I}^{-}(a q)$$

Why do heavy elements such as uranium undergo fission while light elements such as hydrogen and lithium undergo fusion?

Tritium contains one proton and two neutrons. There is no proton-proton repulsion present in the nucleus. Why, then, is tritium radioactive?

Calculate the nuclear binding energy (in \(\mathrm{J}\) ) and the binding energy per nucleon of the following isotopes: (a) \({ }_{3}^{7} \mathrm{Li}(7.01600 \mathrm{amu}),(\mathrm{b}){ }_{17}^{35} \mathrm{Cl}(34.95952 \mathrm{amu})\).
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