Chapter 21 Nuclear Chemistry

the difference between the mass of an atom and the sum of the masses of its protons, neutrons, and electrons

a proton or neutron

the general term for any isotope of any element (77); another term for an atom that is identified by the number of protons and neutrons in its nucleus

the stable nuclei cluster over a range of neutronproton ratios

the binding energy of the nucleus divided by the number of nucleons it contains

the energy released when a nucleus is formed from nucleons

the numbers of nucleons that represent completed nuclear energy levels—2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, and 126

nucleons exist in different energy levels, or shells, in the nucleus

a reaction that affects the nucleus of an atom

a change in the identity of a nucleus as a result of a change in the number of its protons

the particles or electromagnetic radiation emitted from the nucleus during radioactive decay

the spontaneous disintegration of a nucleus into a slightly lighter and more stable nucleus, accompanied by emission of particles, electromagnetic radiation, or both

an unstable nucleus that undergoes radioactive decay

two protons and two neutrons bound together and emitted from the nucleus during some kinds of radioactive decay

an electron emitted from the nucleus during some kinds of radioactive decay

a particle that has the same mass as an electron but that has a positive charge, and is emitted from the nucleus during some kinds of radioactive decay

the process in which an inner orbital electron is captured by the nucleus of its own atom

a high-energy electromagnetic wave emitted from a nucleus as it changes from an excited state to a ground energy state

the time required for half the atoms of a radioactive nuclide to decay

a nuclide produced by the decay of a parent nuclide

a series of radioactive nuclides produced by successive radioactive decay until a stable nuclide is reached

the heaviest nuclide of each decay series

bombardment of stable nuclei with charged and uncharged particles

an element with more than 92 protons in its nucleus

the quantity of ionizing radiation that does as much damage to human tissue as is done by 1 roentgen of high-voltage X rays

a unit used to measure nuclear radiation; equal to the amount of radiation that produces 2 Å~ 109 ion pairs when it passes through 1 cm3 of dry air

a device that uses exposure of film to measure the approximate radiation exposure of people working with radiation

an instrument that detects radiation by counting electric pulses carried by gas ionized by radiation

an instrument that converts scintillating light to an electric signal for detecting radiation

the process by which the approximate age of an object is determined based on the amount of certain radioactive nuclides present

a radioactive atom that is incorporated into a substance so that movement of the substance can be followed by a radiation detector

radioactive products of fission and fusion reactions

a reaction in which the material that starts the reaction is also one of the products and can start another reaction

a process in which a very heavy nucleus splits into morestable nuclei of intermediate mass

a neutron-absorbing rod that helps control a nuclear reaction by limiting the number of free neutrons

the minimum amount of nuclide that provides the number of neutrons needed to sustain a chain reaction

a material used to slow down the fast neutrons produced by fission

a facility that uses heat from nuclear reactors to produce electrical energy

a device that uses controlled-fission chain reactions to produce energy or radioactive nuclides

radiation-absorbing material that is used to decrease radiation exposure from nuclear reactors, especially gamma rays

the combining of lightmass nuclei to form a heavier, more stable nucleus