Nuclear Chemistry
Nuclear Chemistry Nucleus of an atom contains protons and neutrons Strong forces (nuclear force) hold nucleus together Protons in nucleus have electrostatic repulsion however, strong force overcomes this repulsion Strong force: the interaction that binds nucleus together Nuclear force (strong force) is MUCH stronger than electrostatic force Strong force increases over short distances
Nuclear Reaction
Radioisotopes Nuclear Stability: the larger (more massive) a nucleus is, the harder it is for it to stay together. When a nucleus is RADIOACTIVE, it gives off decay particles and changes from one element to another alpha Unstable isotope stable gamma beta
Types of Nuclear Reactions 1. Natural Decay Also known as Natural Transmutation Atoms with an atomic number of 1 through 83 have at least one stable (nonradioactive) isotope, but all isotopes of elements with an atomic number of 84 or more are radioactive
Types of Nuclear Reactions 2. Nuclear bombardment reactions are those in which a nucleus is bombarded, or struck, by another nucleus or by a nuclear particle. 3. Induced a change in the nucleus of an atom brought about by subjecting it (the nucleus) to a) an impact with other nuclei of the same or different type b) an impact with, or bombardment by, subatomic particles or high energy electromagnetic radiations.
4. Electron Capture During electron capture, an electron in an atom's inner shell is drawn into the nucleus where it combines with a proton, forming a neutron and a neutrino. The neutrino is ejected from the atom's nucleus. Since an atom loses a proton during electron capture, it changes from one element to another. Although the numbers of protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus change during electron capture, the total number of particles (protons + neutrons) remains the same. Electron capture is also called K-capture since the captured electron usually comes from the atom's K-shell
5. Nuclear Fission Reaction splits a large nucleus apart to form two smaller ones. Reaction is unknown in the natural world, is a form of artificial transmutation Reaction can take place at any temperature or pressure Reaction is currently being used to produce electricity for our use Requires mining to extract uranium ore Produces THOUSANDS of times more energy than conventional chemical explosives Produces radioactive wastes
6. Nuclear Fusion Reaction combines two small nuclei together to form one larger one. All stars are powered by nuclear fusion Reaction requires temperatures of millions of degrees and vast pressures Reaction requires temperatures of millions of degrees and vast pressures Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe Produces MILLIONS of times more energy than conventional chemical explosives Produces essentially no radioactive waste
Common to Both Fission and Fusion Both generate their energy the same way by converting small amounts of mass (MASS DEFECT) into extraordinary amounts of energy.
Checking for understanding Compare and contrast nuclear fusion and fission
Radioactive Particles
Characteristics of Some Radiation Property Alpha radiation Composition Alpha particle (He nucleus) Beta radiation Beta particle (electron) Symbol, 4 2 He, 0-1 e Gamma radiation High energy EM radiation Penetrating power Shielding low moderate Very high Paper, clothing Metal foil Lead, concrete
Review Atomic number (Z) = # protons in nucleus Mass number Isotopes (A) = # protons + # neutrons = atomic # (Z) + # neutrons are atoms of the same element (X) with different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei Mass Number Atomic Number A Z X Element Symbol 235 92U 238 92U
Radioactive emission Unstable parent isotope undergoes radioactive emission to produce daughter isotope. Parent Isotope (Nucleoid) radioactive+ daughter particle isotope (Nucleoid)
Alpha Decay 4 He (Natural Decay) 2 Identify the product formed when uranium-238 alpha decays 238 U 92 4 He 2 + 234 U 90 The alpha particles released by uranium in the Earth s crust build up underground in porous rock, where they gain electrons and turn into actual atoms of pure helium. This is where we get the helium that is in balloons! Determines which atom from the periodic table
Beta (electron) Decay (Natural Decay) 1 0 e Identify the product formed when carbon-14 emits beta particle 14 C 6 0 e + 1 14 N 7 A neutron in the nucleus decays to form a proton (atomic number increases by 1, but mass stays the same) and an electron (the beta particle) which leaves the nucleus at high speeds.
Gamma Emission 14 C 6 0 0 γ Identify the product formed when carbon-14 releases gamma rays 0 γ + 14 C 0 6 This takes the form of a high-energy particle of light that is given off as the nucleus becomes more stable. It does not change the identity of the element. It has no mass or charge, and is so energetic that it can only be stopped by a 30-cm thick layer of concrete or a 1-foot thickness of solid lead. Gamma can be given off by itself, or it can be given off with any of the other types of decay.
Positron Decay (Natural Decay) +1 0 e Identify the product formed when carbon-14 decays positron 14 C 6 0 e+ 14 N +1 5 A proton in the nucleus decays to form a neutron (atomic number decreases by 1, but mass stays the same) and a positron (the antimatter form of an electron) which leaves the nucleus at high speeds.
Electron Capture 1 0 e Identify the product formed when carbon-14 captures an electron. 14 C 6 + 1 0 e 14 N 7 Electron from electron orbitals captured to convert proton to neutron.
Deuteron Emission 1 2 H Identify the product formed when carbon-14 emits deuteron. 14 C 6 2 H + 1 16 N 7
Proton Emission 1 H 1 Identify the product formed when carbon-14 emits proton. 14 C 6 1 H + 1 15 N 7
Neutron 1 N 0 Identify the product formed when carbon-14 emits neutron. 14 C 6 1 N + 0 15 C 6
Band of Stability Proton/Neutron Ratio: The ratio of n:p in a stable atom varies with size. Small atoms are stable at a 1:1 ratio. As the atom becomes larger, more neutrons are needed for stability, driving the stable n:p ratio as high as 1.5:1. This creates a zone of stability, inside of which the isotopes are stable. Outside the zone, nuclei either have too many or too few neutrons to be stable, and therefore decay by emitting α, β or γ particles to bring the ratio back to the zone of stability. ALL ISOTOPES OF ALL ELEMENTS ABOVE Bi ARE UNSTABLE AND UNDERGO RADIOACTIVE DECAY.
Radioactive Decay Series Radioactive decay produces a simpler and more stable nucleus. A radioactive decay series occurs as a nucleus disintegrates and achieves a more stable nuclei There are 3 naturally occurring radioactive decay series. Thorium 232 ending in lead 208 Uranium 235 ending in lead 207 Uranium 238 ending in lead 206
An example: The Radioactive Decay Series of U-238 Eventually, U-238 decays to Pb-206 This takes several steps, and can take millions of years (or more) Note: Radon-222
Half - Life http://www.chemteam.info/radioactivity/radi oactivity-half-life-probs1-10.html
Half- Life The half-life of a radioactive isotope is defined as the period of time that must go by for half of the nuclei in the sample to undergo decay. - Half of the radioactive nuclei/isotope in the sample decay into new, more stable nuclei/isotope After one half-life, half (50%) of the original amount of the sample will have undergone radioactive decay. After a second half-life, one quarter (25%) of the original sample will remain undecayed. After a third half-life, one eighth (12.5%) of the original sample will remain undecayed.
The blue grid below represents a quantity of C 14. Each time you click, one half-life goes by and turns red. C 14 blue N 14 Half - red lives % C 14 %N 14 Ratio of C 14 to N 14 0 100% 0% no ratio As we begin notice that no time has gone by and that 100% of the material is C 14 29
The grid below represents a quantity of C 14. Each time you click, one half-life goes by and you see red. C 14 blue N 14 Half - red lives % C 14 %N 14 Ratio of C 14 to N 14 0 100% 0% no ratio 1 50% 50% 1:1 After 1 half-life (5730 years), 50% of the C 14 has decayed into N 14. The ratio of C 14 to N 14 is 1:1. There are equal amounts of the 2 elements. 30
The blue grid below represents a quantity of C 14. Each time you click, one half-life goes by and you see red. C 14 blue N 14 Half - red lives % C 14 %N 14 Ratio of C 14 to N 14 0 100% 0% no ratio 1 50% 50% 1:1 2 25% 75% 1:3 Now 2 half-lives have gone by for a total of 11,460 years. Half of the C 14 that was present at the end of half-life #1 has now decayed to N 14. Notice the C:N ratio. It will be useful later. 31
The blue grid below represents a quantity of C 14. Each time you click, one half-life goes by and you see red. C 14 blue N 14 Half - red lives % C 14 %N 14 Ratio of C 14 to N 14 0 100% 0% no ratio 1 50% 50% 1:1 2 25% 75% 1:3 3 12.5% 87.5% 1:7 After 3 half-lives (17,190 years) only 12.5% of the original C 14 remains. For each half-life period half of the material present decays. And again, notice the ratio, 1:7 32
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How long does spent fuel remain radioactive? Recall that many radioisotopes undergo several steps in their decay chain before arriving at a stable species a species which is no longer radioactive Each step in that chain can vary in its rate, from milliseconds to billions of years and depends on the half-life of the radioisotope Does not depend on temperature, pressure, environment Does not depend on how much of the substance is present!
Pu-239 has a half-life of 24,110 years If we start with 100 atoms of Pu-239: In 24,110 years there will be 50 atoms remaining After another 24,100 years, there will be 25 atoms remaining Note: the amount remaining never actually goes to zero!
Recall: the spent fuel from a nuclear power plant ends up as Pu-239 with a half-life of 24,110 years. What will we do with waste that is toxic for such a length of time?
Radioactive Dating
Radioactive Dating Radioactive Decay is a RANDOM process. It is not possible to predict when a particular nucleus will decay, but we can make fairly accurate predictions regarding how many nuclei in a large sample will decay in a given period of time.
Radioactive Dating used to determine the age of a substance that contains a radioactive isotope of known half-life. Step 1: Determine how many times you can cut your original amount in half in order to get to your final amount. This is the number of half-lives that have gone by. Step 2: Multiply the number of half-lives by the duration of a half-life Age of Sample = # Half-Lives X Half-Life Duration See Reference chart
Reference Chart
The oldest rocks on Earth have been found to contain 50% U-238 and 50%Pb-206 (what U-238 ultimate decays into). What is the age of these rocks? First, find out how many half-lives have had to go by so that you have gone from 100% U-238 to 50% U-238: 100 50 ONE half-life has gone by! Age of Sample = # Half-Lives X Half-Life Duration = 1 half-life X (4.51 X 10 9 years) = 4.51 X 10 9 years old!
C-14 dating Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,715 years Its decay process is a beta decay yielding Nitrogen-14: 14 C 14 N C-14 is formed naturally 6 in the 7 upper 1 atmosphere by cosmic rays, and incorporated into carbon dioxide This then mixes throughout the atmosphere, and 1 in every 10 12 CO 2 molecules contains C-14 Thus, the 1 in 10 12 ratio is maintained by any organic matter which relies on CO 2 for its respiration When the organism dies, it stops respiring, and the C-14 begins to decay By measuring the ratio of C-14 to C-12, and comparing to the 1 in 10 12 starting ratio, we can tell how much times has passed since the organism died 0 e
The Hazards of Radioactivity Often, alpha and beta particles and gamma rays possess enough energy to damage living cells by altering their molecule structure The damage is greatest in cells which are growing rapidly This is why radiation treatment is often effective in limiting the growth of cancer But other rapidly growing cells are also affected: bone marrow, skin, hair follicles, stomach, intestines
The Hazards of Radioactivity Radiation sickness results from overexposure. Early symptoms include anemia, malaise and susceptibility to infection Victims exposed to even greater doses of radiation often sustain damage to their DNA This leads to cancers and birth defects, and has been observed in the areas around Chernobyl, Hiroshima, Nagasaki Despite our best precautions, everyone in the modern world is constantly exposed to low levels of radiation
Sources of radiation
Your Exposure to Radiation Your exposure comes from cosmic rays, radon, soil and rock But also from your own body Carbon: Your body contains ~ 10 26 C atoms Of these, 10 14 are C-14, and radioactive With every breath, you breathe in another 10 6 C-14 atoms Potassium:.01% of all the K+ ions that drive your muscles are K-40, and radioactive There are thousands of K-40 decays in your body every second
How much is too much?