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Chapter 16: Problem 46

Energy is always released during radioactive decay in the form of kinetic energy of ejected particles and gamma rays. What is the source of this energy?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The source of the energy released during radioactive decay is the nuclear binding energy, which holds the nucleus of an atom together. During decay, the unstable nucleus loses energy by emitting particles and/or electromagnetic waves, causing a decrease in mass. This mass decrease is then converted into energy according to Einstein's equation, \(E = mc^2\), and is emitted as kinetic energy of ejected particles and gamma rays.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Radioactive Decay

Radioactive decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation in the form of particles and/or electromagnetic waves. These emissions include alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, and other particles. The radioactive decay can transform the unstable nucleus into a more stable one, releasing the excess energy.
02

Nuclear Binding Energy

The source of the energy released during radioactive decay is the nuclear binding energy. Nuclear binding energy is the energy that holds the nucleus of an atom together. It is the energy required to disassemble the nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons.
03

Reducing Mass During Decay

During radioactive decay, the unstable nucleus loses energy by emitting particles and/or electromagnetic waves, which causes the mass of the nucleus to decrease. This mass decrease is converted into energy by the well-known equation by Albert Einstein: \(E = mc^2\), where \(E\) represents energy, \(m\) represents mass, and \(c\) is the speed of light in a vacuum.
04

Energy Release in Radioactive Decay

The kinetic energy of the ejected particles and gamma rays released during radioactive decay comes from the conversion of the reduced mass. This energy is derived from the nuclear binding energy, which gets rearranged to form a more stable nucleus. The reduced mass gets converted into energy according to \(E = mc^2\), and this energy is emitted as kinetic energy of particles and gamma rays.

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