Chapter 19
Nuclear Chemistry
By Boundless
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Becquerel accidentally found that a uranium-rich mineral emitted invisible, penetrating rays that could darken a photographic plate.
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Radioactive decay occurs when an unstable atomic nucleus emits particles or light waves.
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Radioactive decay rate is exponential and is characterized by constants, such as half-life, as well the activity and number of particles.
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The half-life is a parameter for the rate of decay that is related to the decay constant by:
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Radiometric dating is used to date materials using the decay rate of a radioactive isotope.
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To balance a nuclear equation, the mass number and atomic numbers of all particles on either side of the arrow must be equal.
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A nucleus weighs less than its sum of nucleons, a quantity known as the mass defect, caused by release of energy when the nucleus formed.
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Nuclear fission occurs when an atom splits into two or more smaller atoms, most often the as the result of neutron bombardment.
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Atomic bombs are nuclear weapons that use the energetic output of nuclear fission to produce massive explosions.
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A nuclear reactor is a piece of equipment in which nuclear chain reactions can be harnessed to produce energy in a controlled way.
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Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together to form a single heavier nucleus and large amounts of energy.
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A fusion reactor is designed to use the thermal energy from nuclear fusion to produce electricity.
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The hydrogen bomb is a nuclear weapon that uses a mixture of fission and fusion to produce a massive explosion.
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Structural determination using isotopes is often performed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.
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Mass spectrometry has been used to study the ratio of carbon isotopes in various plants to understand the mechanisms of photosynthesis.
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Nuclear medicine is a medical specialty that involves the application of radioactive substances to diagnose or treat disease.
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Acute radiation syndrome or damage describes health effects present within 24 hours of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation.
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Up to 10 percent of invasive cancers are related to radiation exposure, including both ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation.
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Ionizing radiation from fallout can cause genetic effects, birth defects, cancer, cataracts, and other organ and tissue defects.
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Radiation dosimetry is the measurement and calculation of the absorbed dose from exposure to indirect and direct ionizing radiation.