Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

Radioactivity
This researched article describes the process of radioactivity
...
Read on……………………
Introduction
Radioactivity is a nuclear process which happen the nucleus of the atom
...
During the process a lot of energy is emitted and the atom
disintegrates to form new elements
...
Uranus for example disintegrates emitting new elements and a lot of energy is
produced
...
Radioactive are substances that undergo
radioactivity while Radioisotopes are isotopes that are radioactive
...
e
...

Isotopes-these are atoms of the same elements with different mass numbers
Types of radioactivity


Artificial radioactivity- occurs when large stable nuclides are bombarded with fast
moving energy particles



Natural radioactivity- occurs when radioactive nuclei splits spontaneously yielding a
new nuclide with emission of radiations and energy

Types of radiations
-alpha (α)
- Beta (β)

- Gamma (γ)
Characteristics of radiations


α- these are particles that are positively charged Helium nuclei 24He2+



α- they are the heaviest



β- they are negatively charged electron -10e



beta particles are formed when a neutron changes into a proton within the nucleus
o



-0

1

n

1

1

p +-10 e

Gamma (γ) radiations are high energy rays
...


Properties of radiations
1
...
This makes them to collide with a lot of the air particles hence high ionizing
power
...




Beta particles are negatively charged and charge the air around it negative
...
It
has a less ionizing power than alpha
...


2
...
They are slightly defected because they are the heaviest
...

The defection is greater than of α because they have smaller masses
...

+

β
γ

Source of radiation

α

3
...




Β have lower ionizing power and produce fewer ions in gases
...
This is because of its fast movement as they pass through
medium
...
Penetrating power


α -particle is the heaviest and has the lowest penetrating power
...




β- Particle moves faster in the air and has a higher penetrating power than alpha particles
...




Gamma rays are the fastest particles they have a highest penetrating power; it penetrates
through the aluminum foil but blocked by a thick block of lead
...
This is disintegration
...

When disintegration occurs the original mass of the nuclides decays to it’s a half i
...
a
half- life
...
E
...
400-200-100-50



Or
This formula is used

Remaining amount = (½)n x original amount
...
g
...
3
days if the original mass was 400g and the half-life was 8
...


91



paα22989Ac+42He

23

If beta particle is emitted an electron is produced where the atomic number increases by
one as the mass number remains
...
g
...
They are
produced when the remaining particles in the nucleus re-organizes themselves into more stable
arrangements
...
E
...

236
92

u

141
56Ba

+ 9236Kr + 310n +energy

Nuclear fission
It is the splitting process where a heavy nuclide undergoes when bombarded by fast moving
neutron
...
g
...
The large heat is used to heat water producing steam which is
use to turn turbines to produce electricity
...
This fusion
results in formation of a heavy nucleus
...

Applications of radioactivity


Medicine-where it is used to kill cancerous tissues, sterilizes of surgical instruments
using gamma radiation,radioactive iodine is used in patients with defective thyroid to
enable doctors to follow the path of through the body, used to monitor growth in bones
and healing of fractures
...




Manufacture of nuclear weapons and atomic bombs



Preservation of food

Conclusion
The radiations emitted during radioactivity have got many uses and it improves the lives of people
like killing of cancerous cell
...
Longer exposure of the radiations can cause longer term genetic mutation in living
tissues leading to anemia, bone cancer and other forms of cancer
...
The emission can also be
used as weapons of mass destruction as it was experienced in Hiroshima & Nagasaki Japan during
the 2nd world war where the effects are felt up to date

---