Kampala International University

Faculty of Science & Technology Science & Technology Technology

Department of Science & Technology Basic Science

Applied Physics
Nuclear Physics
Nuclear Physics is the field of Physics that studies the structure of
atomic nuclei and their formation, interactions, stability and decay.
Nuclear interactions or reactions include:
● Radioactivity decay;

Particles or electromagnetic radiation are emitted from the nucleus.

A
Z X → A−4
Z−1 Y +alpha particle +Beta particle+gamma ray

● Nuclear fusion
Combining small atoms into large.
2
1 H + 31 H → 42 He + 10 n +Energy (17.6 MeV)
● Nuclear fission
Breaking large atoms into small
235
92 U + 01n → 142
56 Ba + 91
36 Kr +3 1
0n
 ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR STRUCTURE
● An atom is the smallest unit of matter.
 An atom is forming from three basic particles are known as proton (P),
neutron (N) and electron (e).
 All nuclei are composed of protons and neutrons except hydrogen with a
single proton.
 Protons and neutrons are known as nucleons
which is form nucleus.
 Number of protons or number of electrons in
an atom is called atomic number (Z).
● Number of protons and neutrons (Z+N)
in an atom is called atomic mass number (A).
● In nuclear Physics the elements are arranged in order of increasing
A
proton number and are characterized with the symbol
ZX
Isotopes of an element
● The nuclei of all atoms of a particular element must contain the same number of
protons.
● They may contain varying numbers of neutrons.
 Isotopes of an element have the same Z but differing N and A values.
 The natural abundance of isotopes can vary.
 Isotope example:
✔ Isotopes of Carbon;
11C , 12 C , 13 C , 11C , 14 C .
6 6 6 6 6
● Isotopes of Hydrogen; 1 H , 2 H , 3 H
1 1 1
✔ Isotopes of Uranium;
238 235 234 233 232
92 U , 92U , 92U , 92U , 92U
✔ Isotopes of Thorium
238 234 232
90 Th , 90 Th , 90Th
Some of Nuclear Terminologies
Example
Word Definition

12
C & 13
C
Isotope Nuclei with same number of protons (Z) 6 6

12
C & 13
N
Isotone Nuclei with same number of neutrons (N) 6 7

14
C & 14
N
Isobar Nuclei with same mass number (A) 6 7

Atom with less and more electrons than protons; - +

Cl & Na
Ion
cations to few electrons and anions to many electrons.
Nuclei with same number of proton and neutrons
*
Isomer but different energies because of excited nuclear state
19
9
F & [ 19
9
F ]
of an atom.
Examples:
1) Calculate the number of electrons, protons, neutrons and nucleons in an
atom of 238
U.
92

Solution:
Uranium (U), which has 92 protons and 238 nucleus. Hence
Atomic number Z = 92 = number of protons = number of electrons.
Number of neutrons = A – Z = 238 – 92 = 146.
Mass number A = 238 = number of (protons + neutrons) = Number of
nucleons.
2) Select the pairs of Isotopes, Isotones and Isobars in the following list.
12
6
C, 27
13
Al, 39
19
K, 28
14
Si, 76
32
Ge, 40
20
Ca, 76
34
Se, 14
6
C.
Solution:
Isotopes – (Same number of protons) : [126C and 14
C].
6

Isotones – (Same number of neutrons) : [2713Al and 28

14
Si], [3919K and 40
Ca].
20

Isobars – (Same A values) : [7632Ge and 76

34
Se].
Element Mass number Atomic number Number of Neutrons
(A) (Z) (N)
12
6
C 12 6 6
27
13
Al 27 13 14
39
19
K 39 19 20
28
14
Si 28 14 14
76
32
Ge 76 32 44
40
20
Ca 40 20 20
76
34
Se 76 34 42
14
6
C 14 6 8
Assignment (4)
 Nuclear Stability
 Nuclear Stability is a concept that helps to identify the stability of a
nuclear species.
 A stable atom is an atom that has enough binding energy to hold the
nucleus together permanently.
 An unstable atom does not have enough binding energy to hold the
nucleus together permanently and is called a radioactive atoms and it will
lose neutrons and protons as they attempt to become stable.
 A stable atom requires that the ratio of neutrons to protons within the
nucleus be within certain limits.
 If this ratio is too great or too small then the nucleus is unstable and it
spontaneously attempts to become stable by a radioactive transformation.
 Stability is related to neutron- to -proton ratio (N/Z)
low atomic number (Z < 20) - lighter nuclei - n:p ~ 1:1
high atomic number (Z > 83)- heavier nuclei - n:p rises to ~ 1.6:1
 An unstable nuclei will try and become stable by getting to a lower energy
state.
 They will typically do this by emitting some form of radioactivity and
change in the process.
 Binding energy
 Nuclear binding energy is the minimum energy that would be
required to disassemble the nucleus into its component parts.
 The higher binding energy per nucleon, the more stable the
nucleus.
 More massive nuclei require extra neutrons to overcome the
Coulomb repulsion of the protons in order to be stable.
 Nuclei that are unstable decay; many such decays are governed
by another force called the weak nuclear force.
 The heaviest elements are the most unstable such as Pb, Ra and
U.
 Stability regained by radioactive decay processes.
Radioactivity
 Radioactivity is a physical phenomenon that describe the
property of some unstable atoms.
 Radioactivity is defined as spontaneous nuclear
transformation in unstable atoms (Parent atom) that result
in the formation of new elements (Daughter atom) and
emission of radiation α, β, and γ, β, and γ, and γ.
 After emission the remaining daughter atom can either be a
lower energy form of the same element or a completely
different element.
 The emitted particles or waves are called ionizing radiation
because they have the ability to remove electrons from the
atoms of any matter they interact with.
Radioactive decay processes
 In radioactive processes, particles or electromagnetic radiation are
emitted from the nucleus.
 The most common forms of radioactive decay processes have been
classified as alpha decay (α, β, and γ), beta decay (β, and γ), and gamma decay (γ).
 In addition, there are a couple of less common types of radioactive
decay such as positron emission and electron capture.

1) Alpha Decay:
 Alpha decay occurs most often in massive nuclei that have too large
a neutron to proton ratio.
 In nuclear equations representing alpha decay:
#The mass number of the daughter nucleus is 4 less than the parent
(A - 4).
#The atomic number of the daughter nucleus is 2 less than the
parent (Z – 2).
Alpha decay equation
Characteristics of α, β, and γ-decay

1) These particles are helium nuclei 42He.

2) They affect photographic plate.

3) They are deflected only slightly towards the negative plate
in electric field. They are also deflected by magnetic field.
4) These particles can ionize gases which have ma ximum
ionizing power.
5) They have a velocity of the order of 1 x 107 ms−11.
6) They have the least penetrating power.
1) When 21082Po decays to 206
Pb, it emits?
80
(a) an alpha particle (b) one beta particle
(c) one alpha and one beta particle (d) two alpha and two beta particles
Solution :
(a) an alpha particle. 210
82
Po 206
Pb +
80
4
He
2
2) The radioisotope 235
92
U decays by emitting two alpha
particles, What are the mass number and atomic number of
resulting daughter element?
Sol.:
Mass number = Ad = 335 - (2 x 4) = 335 – 8 = 227
Atomic number = Zd =92 – (2 x 2)= 92 – 4 = 92 – 4 = 88
335
U
92
227
88
X + 2 42He

From the periodic table X is Radium.