What are the types of radiation emitted by the nuclei of radioactive elements?
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Chemistry 2e · 21.3 Radioactive Decay
Radioactive Decay: practice problems
14 problems from the book, with its answers. Check your working, or have any of them explained to you on the whiteboard.
Exercises 21
What is the change in the nucleus that results from the following decay scenarios?
(a) emission of a β particle
(b) emission of a β⁺ particle
(c) capture of an electron
Exercises 23
Exercises 25
Exercises 27
Exercises 29
Exercises 31
Exercises 33
Exercises 35
Exercises 37
Exercises 39
Exercises 41
Exercises 43
Exercises 45
Key terms · 12
- alpha (α) decay
- loss of an alpha particle during radioactive decay
- beta (β) decay
- breakdown of a neutron into a proton, which remains in the nucleus, and an electron, which is emitted as a beta particle
- daughter nuclide
- nuclide produced by the radioactive decay of another nuclide; may be stable or may decay further
- electron capture
- combination of a core electron with a proton to yield a neutron within the nucleus
- gamma (γ) emission
- decay of an excited-state nuclide accompanied by emission of a gamma ray
- half-life (t_1/2)
- time required for half of the atoms in a radioactive sample to decay
- parent nuclide
- unstable nuclide that changes spontaneously into another (daughter) nuclide
- positron emission
- (also, β^+ decay) conversion of a proton into a neutron, which remains in the nucleus, and a positron, which is emitted
- radioactive decay
- spontaneous decay of an unstable nuclide into another nuclide
- radioactive decay series
- chains of successive disintegrations (radioactive decays) that ultimately lead to a stable end-product
- radiocarbon dating
- highly accurate means of dating objects 30,000–50,000 years old that were derived from once-living matter; achieved by calculating the ratio of ${}_{\ 6}^{14} \text{C} \text{:} \ {}_{\ 6}^{12} \text{C}$ in the object vs. the ratio of ${}_{\ 6}^{14} \text{C} \text{:} \ {}_{\ 6}^{12} \text{C}$ in the present-day atmosphere
- radiometric dating
- use of radioisotopes and their properties to date the formation of objects such as archeological artifacts, formerly living organisms, or geological formations
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