Lecture 3 Nuclear Chemistry

Nuclear Chemistry
ES 10: Chemistry for Engineers
David A. Agbayani
Nuclear Chemistry
• The study of phenomena that originate
within the nuclei of atoms
Nuclear
Reactions
Chemical vs Nuclear Reactions
Chemical Nuclear
Bonds are broken Nuclei emit particles and/or
rays
Atoms are rearranged Atoms change into atoms of
different element
Involve protons, neutrons,
Involve valence electrons and/or electrons
Small energy changes Large energy changes
Reaction rate is affected by Reaction rate is dependent
T, P, catalysts on
amount of reactants only
Radioactivity
• The phenomenon in which small particles
of matter and/or electromagnetic radiation
are emitted by unstable atomic nuclei
Radioactivity:
Discovery (1895-1898)
• Roentgen found that invisible rays were
emitted when electrons hit the surface of a
fluorescent screen  X-rays
• Becquerel accidentally discovered that

phosphorescent uranium rock produced
spots on photographic plates
Radioactivity:
Discovery (1895-1898)
• Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the uranium
atoms emitting the rays
• Marie Curie proposed the term radioactivity
• Marie Curie identified 2 new elements:

Polonium and Radium on the basis of their
radioactivity
Recap
Mass number
Element
Atomic number
Isotopes
Recap
Mass number
Element
Atomic number
Isotopes
Isotopes
• Isotopes – same element with different numbers of
neutrons
• Radioisotopes – isotopes of atoms with unstable

nuclei
• Radioactive decay – when unstable nuclei lose

energy by emitting radiation to become more stable
Spontaneous or Non-spontaneous ?
Nuclear Equations
Reactants Products
1. The sum of mass numbers must be the

same on both sides.
2. The sum of atomic numbers must be the

same on both sides.
Alpha Particles
• A bundle of two protons and two neutrons
• α or
• Low penetrating power
• Deflected by electric and magnetic fields
• Alpha decay
Alpha Particles
Beta Particles
• An electron from the nucleus
• β or
• Greater penetrating power than α particles
• Deflected by electric and magnetic fields
• Beta emission
Beta Particles
Gamma Rays
• Electromagnetic radiation
• or γ
• Greater penetrating power than α and β particles
• NOT deflected by electric and magnetic fields
• Gamma emission
Summary of Properties
α β γ
Charge +2 -1 0
Mass (g) 0
Relative
penetrating power 1 100 10,000
Nature of High-energy
Electrons
radiation photons
Positron
• A positive electron
• Positron emission
Electron Capture
• An inner-shell orbital electron is captured
by the nucleus
Exercises
• Write a nuclear equation to represent -
particle emission by
• Write a nuclear equation to represent the

decay of a radioactive nucleus to produce
and a positron.
Nuclear Stability
• Isotope is completely stable if the nucleus
will not spontaneously decompose.
• Z ≤ 20 : very stable
• 1:1 ratio of protons and neutrons ()
• E.g. Carbon-12
Nuclear Stability
• 21 ≤ Z ≤ 83 : marginally stable
• 1:1.5 ratio of protons and neutrons ()
• E.g. Mercury-200
Nuclear Stability
• Z > 83 : unstable, radioactive
• E.g. Uranium
Nuclear Stability
• Magic Numbers!
– Protons: 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82
– Neutrons: 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126

Half-Life
• The time required for one-half of a reactant
to be consumed, or for one-half of the atoms
present in a sample to undergo radioactive
decay is called the half-life.
Half-Life
Linear?
Half-Life
• Equation based on number of half-lives:
: remaining mass
: initial mass
: # of half-lives
Half-Life
• E.g. If Gallium-68 has a half-life of 68.3
minutes, how much of a 160.0 mg sample is
left after 1 half-life? 2 half-lives? 10 half-
lives?
Half-Life
• E.g. Cobalt-60, with a half-life of 5 years, is
used in cancer radiation treatments. If a
hospital purchases a supply of 30.0 g, how
much would be left after 15 years?
Nuclear Binding Energy
• The energy required to break up a nucleus
into its component protons and neutrons is
called the nuclear binding energy.
• Mass of nuclei < Sum of masses of nucleons
• Mass of proton: 1.007276 amu

• Mass of neutron: 1.008665 amu
• Mass defect – the difference between the
mass of an atom and the sum of the masses
of its component nucleons
• Important conversion factors:
• E.g. Calculate the binding energy of the
nucleus of Thallium-205 with atomic mass
204.9744 amu.
Types of Nuclear Reactions
• Nuclear Fission
• Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear Fission
• The process in which a heavy nucleus (A > 200)
divides to form smaller nuclei of intermediate
mass and one or more neutrons is called nuclear
fission.
Nuclear Fission
11
Average energy: ~ 3.20  10 J
Nuclear Fission
chain
reaction
Nuclear Fission
• If the average energy released in the fission of one
uranium-235 atom is 3.20 x 10-11 J, how much
energy is released if 1.00 g of uranium-235 were
to undergo fission?
= 8.20 x 1010 J = 8.20 x 107 kJ

Atomic Bombs
An explosion at Mururoa in France

on October 30, 1971
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/atomic-bomb-history
Atomic Bombs
• The basis of an atomic bomb are uncontrolled
chain reactions which occur only if the quantity
of the uranium-235 present exceeds the critical
mass.
• The critical mass is the quantity of uranium-235

sufficiently large to retain enough neutrons to
sustain a chain reaction.
Nuclear Reactors
• In a nuclear reactor, the release of fission energy is
controlled.
Schematic Diagram of a Pressurized Water Nuclear Reactor
Nuclear Fusion
• The process in which smaller nuclei combine to
form larger ones is called nuclear fusion.
Nuclear Fusion
Hydrogen Bombs
First Hydrogen Bomb Test

on Nov. 1, 1952
https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/nov-1-1952-first-hydrogen-bomb-test/
Hydrogen Bombs
• Also called thermonuclear bombs
• The detonation occurs in two stages:

 Stage 1: Fission reaction - provides the required
temperature for fusion to occur
 Stage 2: Fusion reaction - releases vast amounts of
energy
• No critical mass; force of explosion is limited only

by the quantity of reactants present
Biological Effects
• DNA damage
Biological Effects
• Measures of radiation dosage:
 rad (radiation absorbed dosage)

 RBE (Relative Biological Effectiveness)
 = 1 for beta and gamma radiation
 = 10 for alpha radiation
 rem (radiation equivalent for man or roentgen

equivalent for man)
 number of rems = number of rads x RBE
Biological Effects
E.g. If you are internally exposed to 10 rads of α, β,
and γ radiation,which form of radiation will cause
the greatest biological damage?
Applications
1. Conversion of nuclear fission energy to electrical
energy
Applications
energy
2. Medicine
a) Detection of disease - Thallium-201 for myocardial
perfusion imaging
Applications
energy
2. Medicine
a) Detection of disease - Thallium-201 for myocardial
perfusion imaging
b) Treatment of cancer cells - Gamma rays to arrest
growth of cancer cells; Neutron capture therapy
Applications
energy
2. Medicine
3. Everyday life - Americium-241 in smoke
detectors; X-ray imaging

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Nuclear Chemistry

ES 10: Chemistry for Engineers

• Becquerel accidentally discovered that

• Marie Curie proposed the term radioactivity

• Marie Curie identified 2 new elements:

• Radioisotopes – isotopes of atoms with unstable

• Radioactive decay – when unstable nuclei lose

1. The sum of mass numbers must be the

2. The sum of atomic numbers must be the

• Low penetrating power

• Deflected by electric and magnetic fields

• Greater penetrating power than α particles

• Deflected by electric and magnetic fields

• Greater penetrating power than α and β particles

• NOT deflected by electric and magnetic fields

• Write a nuclear equation to represent the

• 1:1 ratio of protons and neutrons ()

• 1:1.5 ratio of protons and neutrons ()

– Protons: 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82

– Neutrons: 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82, 126

• Mass of nuclei < Sum of masses of nucleons

• Mass of proton: 1.007276 amu

= 8.20 x 1010 J = 8.20 x 107 kJ

An explosion at Mururoa in France

• The critical mass is the quantity of uranium-235

First Hydrogen Bomb Test

• The detonation occurs in two stages:

• No critical mass; force of explosion is limited only

 rad (radiation absorbed dosage)

 rem (radiation equivalent for man or roentgen

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