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Express the changes in the atomic number and mass number of a radioactive nuclei when an alpha, beta, or gamma particle is emitted. Write nuclear equations for alpha and beta decay reactions.
- CORE Concepts
- Topics Covered in Other Articles
- What Is Radioactive Decay?
- Alpha Radioactive Decay
- Beta Radioactive Decay
- Gamma Radioactive Decay
- Other Radioactive Decays
- Radioactive Decay Practice Problems
In this article, we explore the phenomenon of radioactive decay and its most common types: alpha, beta, and gamma decay.
“Radioactive decay” refers to a group of reactions involving the nucleus of an atom changing in some form. Radioactive decay occupies an important place in nuclear chemistry, or the branch of chemistry concerned with the change of nuclei, along with nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. There are three main radioactive decay reactions: alpha decay, b...
Alpha decay involves the emission of an alpha particle from the parent nuclei. This alpha particle is essentially the nucleus of helium or a He2+ion. Thus, alpha particles have two protons and two neutrons. With the release of the alpha particle, the parent nucleus thus loses 4 atomic mass units. Further, from the loss of protons, the atomic number...
Beta decay (β-) involves the emission of a beta particle from the parent nuclei. This beta particle is a high-energy electron. However, rather than originating from the atom’s electron cloud, this electron comes from one of the nuclei’s neutrons. Intriguingly, with the loss of this electron, the neutron converts into a proton. This increases the at...
As mentioned before, gamma decay doesn’t involve the conversion of one element to another. Instead, in gamma decay, when a nucleus reaches an energized state, it gives off light photons. Nuclear chemists typically call these photons “gamma rays”. Occasionally, you may also see alpha and beta particles described as “alpha rays” and “beta rays”, but ...
While alpha, beta, and gamma decay compose the vast majority of radioactive decay reactions, some rarer nuclear decay reactions do occur. For instance, a nucleus can emit a single proton or neutron. This tends to occur in the excited state immediately following alpha or beta decay. Typically, a nucleus only emits a proton or neutron when the propor...
Problem 1 Astatine-219 () undergoes beta decay followed by two alpha decays. What isotope is produced? Problem 2 You have a sample of 15 astatine-219 isotopes. Each undergoes the same decay chain as described in (1). How much of each radioactive particle is produced during this radioactive decay?
- 8 min
- Jay
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- jpkobrossi16. 7 years ago. Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to jpkobrossi16's post “When Thorium performs bet...” When Thorium performs beta decay and becomes protactinium, would the product be an ion since a proton was added, and a beta particle was released out of the atom, not keeping the charges equaled?
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May 30, 2021 · The three main types of radioactive decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay, but there are other nuclear reactions responsible for radioactivity. Here is a look at the definition of radioactivity, its units, the types of radioactive decay, and how radioactivity penetrates matter.
The nuclear radiation emitted during radioactive decay is high energy, ionizing radiation. Nuclear radiation is potentially dangerous to living things but also has many beneficial applications. Types of radioactive decay include alpha, beta, and gamma. Created by Mahesh Shenoy.
- 8 min
- Mahesh Shenoy
You would expect gamma decay to happen along with alpha and beta, but not all by itself. I mean, it can happen, but those are rare incidences. The second big difference you can see is that in an alpha or beta decay, the isotopes change because the number of protons will change.
- 12 min
- Mahesh Shenoy
