RADIOACTIVITY

RADIOACTIVITY
It is the spontaneous emission from the nucleus of certain atoms of one or more of the following alpha(), beta() and gamma() radiation.

Who discovered radioactivity

In 1896, Henri Becquerel discovered almost by accident that some substances like uranium and radium can blacken a photographic film even in the dark. These substances are radioactive.

Who discovered radium

Marie Curie together with her husband Pierre investigated uranium compounds. They found that the rays from uranium caused the ionization of air molecules.

MARIE CURIE
One of the most important discovery was pitchblende, an ore of uranium, which emitted intense radiation. They also extracted from pitchblende, a new radioactive element which they called polonium. Most importantly in 1898 they obtained radium from pitchblende. Radium was 1 million times more radioactive than uranium. Eventually they determined the density, melting point and other physical properties of these new elements.

Nature of radioactive emission

alpha()-particles are helium nuclei, that is 2

protons and 2 neutrons which exist together. beta()-particles are electrons moving at very high speeds gamma()-rays are electromagnetic waves of very short wavelengths.

Ranges of radioactive emissions(their penetrating power)

RADIATION CHARGE MASS SPEED PENETRATIN G ABILTITY
Stopped by thin paper

RANGE IN AIR
<10cm Example Americium Am-241

ALPHA PARTICLE

+2e

4 units

~ 1/20 speed of light

BETA PARTICLE

-e

1/1840 units Ranges from 3-99% speed of light Almost zero mass Speed of light c

Stopped by an 50-60 cm aluminum example plate Strontium Sr-90 Stopped by thick lead Great range in air example Cobalt Co-60

GAMMA RAY

0 No charge

CLASS ACTIVITY
DESCRIBE EXPERIMENTS TO COMPARE THE

RANGES OF ALPHA, BETA AND GAMMA EMMISSION IN VARIOUS MEDIA.

How can I detect Radioactivity

CLOUD CHAMBER

MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC FIELDS

Cloud chamber
A cloud chamber is a devise used to detect

radiation. It consists of a cylindrical chamber in which dried ice is placed. The inside of the chamber is filled with alcohol vapour which is cooled by the dry ice. The radioactive source is placed close to the base and white vapour trails can be seen shooting out from the source.

Diffusion cloud chamber

Cloud chamber
Alpha particles produce thick straight but short white tracks

Cloud chamber
Beta particles produce long but thin wispy looking white tracks

Cloud chamber
Gamma radiation are rarely observed by a cloud chamber

Effect of fields on radioactive emissions

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma

Class activity
Can you explain the diagrams shown on electric

and magnetic fields?

Answer to activity (magnetic field)

Gamma rays are not deflected- the magnetic field

has no effect on them as they are not CHARGED Alpha particles show a slight deviation to the left as indicated in the diagram since Fleming left hand rule says that a deviation to the left indicates that particles are +ve charged. Beta particles are deviated to the right, showing that they are ve charged.

Nuclear reactions
When a radioisotope decays, it emits either

alpha, beta or gamma radiation. we can work out what it changes into. e.g.

However, we often write the alpha particle as:

Nuclear reactions
As it helps us balance the equation:

X, in this case, is Th (Thorium).

Balancing Decay Equations

Let us look at that decay in more detail:

Before decay, the Uranium-235 nucleus had 92 protons, and (235-92) 143 neutrons. After decay, the daughter nucleus, Thorium-231, has 90 protons and (231-90) 141 neutrons. The two protons and two neutrons missing are, of course, now part of the alpha particle.

Beta Decay Equations

We can write similar decay equations involving beta particles: Note that it has no effective mass (compared to neutrons and protons) and has negative charge (compared to protons). e.g.
X, in this case, is Np (Neptunium). Before, the Uranium-238 had 92 protons and (238-92) 146 neutrons. After, the daughter nucleus, Neptunium-238, has (238-93) 145 neutrons and 93 protons!

Beta Decay
Let us look at that beta-decay in more detail:

It gives us a clue as to why beta decay can release an electron from the nucleus. A neutron can change into a proton and an electron:

This is why the real mass of a proton is slightly less than a neutron.

Beta Decay Question

Carbon-14 is radioactive, and is useful in finding

out how old dead things are. It decays by emitting a beta particle. Work out what it decays into using this equation

Beta Decay Answer

To balance mass, we must have 14 nucleons in the daughter nucleus. To balance charge, we need an extra proton

What is radioactive decay?

Radioactive decay is the process in which an

unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting ionizing particles and radiation. This decay, or loss of energy, results in an atom of one type, called the parent nuclide transforming to an atom of a different type, called the daughter nuclide. For example: a carbon-14 atom (the "parent") emits radiation and transforms to a nitrogen-14 atom (the "daughter"). This is a random process on the atomic level, in that it is impossible to predict when a given atom will decay, but given a large number of similar atoms the decay rate, on

Radioactive decay experiment

Class research

Hint Geiger Muller tube

Random decay experiment

Apparatus a radioactive source with a large half life e.g. strontium-90/ GM tube, scaler/ratemeter, stopwatch. The distance of the GM detector tube should remain fixed during the course of the experiment. turn on the scaler, let it run for approximately 30 seconds an then switch it off.

Experiment cont
Note the reading on the scaler . Repeat the

experiment 10 times stopping the scaler after 2 minutes.

Results
The readings obtained might be all different.

These readings should demonstrate the random

nature of the radioactive process.

Class game
Number of flips per student 0 Number of students standing 24

Then plot a graph of number of students standing vs. Number of flips per student THIS IS TO PROVE THAT RADIOACTIVITY IS A RANDOM PROCESS AND IT OCCURS BY CHANCE . HENCE, WE CANNOT TELL WHICH SET OF ATOMS OF THE SUBSTANCE WILL DECAY.

THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE RADIOACTIVE PROCESS

The radioactive decay process is independent of

the conditions external to the nucleus. Therefore, the process is unaffected by chemical reactions of any type or by changes in pressure, temperature or any other external factor.