Lecture Presentation

Chapter 21

Nuclear Chemistry

James F. Kirby
Quinnipiac University
Hamden, CT
© 2015 Pearson Education, Inc.
 Energy: Chemical vs. Nuclear
• Chemical energy is associated with making
and breaking chemical bonds.
• Nuclear energy is enormous in comparison.
• Nuclear energy is due to changes in the
nucleus of atoms
changing them into
different atoms.
• 13% of worldwide
energy use comes
from nuclear energy.

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 The Nucleus

• Remember that the nucleus is composed of

the two nucleons, protons and neutrons.
• The number of protons is the atomic number.
• The number of protons and neutrons together
is the mass number.
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Chemistry

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 Isotopes
• Not all atoms of the same element have
the same mass, due to different
numbers of neutrons in those atoms.
• There are, for example, three naturally
occurring isotopes of uranium:
– Uranium-234
– Uranium-235
– Uranium-238

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Chemistry

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 Radioactivity
• It is not uncommon for some nuclides
of an element to be unstable, or
radioactive.
• We refer to these as radionuclides.
• There are several ways radionuclides can
decay into a different nuclide.
• We use nuclear equations to show how
these nuclear reactions occur.
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Chemistry

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 Equations
• In chemical equations, atoms and charges
need to balance.
• In nuclear equations, atomic number and
mass number need to balance. This is a
way of balancing charge (atomic number)
and mass (mass number) on an atomic
scale.

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Chemistry

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Most Common Kinds of Radiation
Emitted by a Radionuclide

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Chemistry

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 Types of Radioactive Decay
• Alpha decay
• Beta decay
• Gamma emission
• Positron emission
• Electron capture

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Chemistry

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 Alpha Decay
Alpha decay is the loss of an α-particle
(He-4 nucleus, two protons and two neutrons):
4
2 He
238 234 4
92 U 
Th + He
90 2

Note how the equation balances:

atomic number: 92 = 90 + 2
mass number: 238 = 234 + 4
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Chemistry

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 Beta Decay
Beta decay is the loss of a β-particle (a high-
speed electron emitted by the nucleus):
0 0
β
–1 or e
–1

131 131 0
53 I 
54 Xe + e
–1

Balancing: atomic number: 53 = 54 + (–1)

mass number: 131 = 131 + 0
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Chemistry

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 Gamma Emission

Gamma emission is the loss of a γ-ray,

which is high-energy radiation that almost
always accompanies the loss of a
nuclear particle:

0
0γ
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Chemistry

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 Positron Emission
Some nuclei decay by emitting a
positron, a particle that has the same
mass as, but an opposite charge to, that
of an electron: 0
1 e
11 11 0
6 C 
5B + 1e

Balancing: atomic number: 6 = 5 + 1

mass number: 11 = 11 + 0
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Chemistry

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 Electron Capture (K-Capture)
An electron from the surrounding electron
cloud is absorbed into the nucleus during
electron capture.
81 0 81
37 Rb + e
–1

36 Kr
Balancing: atomic number: 37 + (–1) = 36
mass number: 81 + 0 = 81
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Chemistry

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Sources of Some Nuclear Particles
• Beta particles:

• Positrons:

• What happens with

electron capture?

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Chemistry

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 Nuclear Stability
• Any atom with more than one proton (anything
but H) will have repulsions between the protons
in the nucleus.
• Strong nuclear force helps keep the nucleus
together.
• Neutrons play a key role stabilizing the nucleus,
so the ratio of neutrons to protons is an
important factor.

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Chemistry

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 Neutron–Proton Ratios
• For smaller nuclei (Z ≤ 20),
stable nuclei have a
neutron-to-proton ratio
close to 1:1.
• As nuclei get larger, it takes
a larger number of neutrons
to stabilize the nucleus.
• The shaded region in the
figure is called the belt of
stability; it shows what
nuclides would be stable. Nuclear
Chemistry

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 Unstable Nuclei
• Compare a nucleus to the
“belt of stability.”
• Nuclei above this belt have
too many neutrons, so they
tend to decay by emitting
beta particles.
• Nuclei below the belt have
too many protons, so they
tend to become more stable
by positron emission or
electron capture. Nuclear
Chemistry

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 Alpha Emission

• There are no stable nuclei with an

atomic number greater than 83.
• Nuclei with such large atomic numbers
tend to decay by alpha emission.

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Chemistry

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 Radioactive Decay Chain
• Some radioactive nuclei
cannot stabilize by
undergoing only one
nuclear transformation.
• They undergo a series of
decays until they form a
stable nuclide (often a
nuclide of lead).

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Chemistry

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 Stable Nuclei

• Magic numbers of 2, 8, 20, 28,

50, or 82 protons or 2, 8, 20, 28,
50, 82, or 126 neutrons result in
more stable nuclides.
• Nuclei with an even number of
protons and neutrons tend to be
more stable than those with odd Nuclear
numbers. Chemistry

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 Nuclear Transmutations
• Nuclear transmutations can be induced by
accelerating a particle to collide it with the nuclide.
• Particle accelerators (“atom smashers”) are
enormous, having circular tracks with radii that
are miles long.

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Chemistry

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 Other Nuclear Transmutations
• Use of neutrons:
 Most synthetic isotopes used in medicine are
prepared by bombarding neutrons at a particle,
which won’t repel the neutral particle.
• Transuranium elements:
 Elements immediately after uranium were
discovered by bombarding isotopes with neutrons.
 Larger elements (atomic number higher than 110)
were made by colliding large atoms with nuclei of
light elements with high energy.
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Chemistry

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 Writing Nuclear Equations for
Nuclear Transmutations
Nuclear equations that represent nuclear
transmutations are written two ways:
1)
or
2)

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Chemistry

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 Kinetics of Radioactive Decay
• Radioactive decay is a first-order process.
• The kinetics of such a process obey this
equation:
Nt
ln = −kt
N0

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Chemistry

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 Half-Life
• The half-life of such a process is
0.693
= t1/2
k
• Half-life is the time required for half of a
radionuclide sample to decay.

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Chemistry

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 Radiometric Dating
• Applying first-order kinetics
and half-life information, we
can date objects using a
“nuclear clock.”
• Carbon dating works: the
half-life of C-14 is 5700 yr.
It is limited to objects up to
about 50,000 yr old; after
this time there is too little
radioactivity left to measure.
• Other isotopes can be used
(U-238:Pb-206 in rock). Nuclear
Chemistry

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 Measuring Radioactivity: Units
• Activity is the rate at which a sample
decays.
• The units used to measure activity are
as follows:
 Becquerel (Bq): one disintegration per
second
 Curie (Ci): 3.7 × 1010 disintegrations per
second, which is the rate of decay of 1
g of radium. Nuclear
Chemistry

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 Measuring Radioactivity:
Some Instruments
• Film badges
• Geiger counter
• Phosphors (scintillation counters)

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Chemistry

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 Film Badges
• Radioactivity was first discovered by Henri Becquerel
because it fogged up a photographic plate.
• Film has been used to detect radioactivity since more
exposure to radioactivity means darker spots on the
developed film.
• Film badges are used by people who work with
radioactivity to measure their own exposure over time.

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Chemistry

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 Geiger Counter
• A Geiger counter measures the amount of activity
present in a radioactive sample.
• Radioactivity enters a window and creates ions in
a gas; the ions result in an electric current that is
measured and recorded by the instrument.

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Chemistry

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 Phosphors
• Some substances absorb radioactivity
and emit light. They are called
phosphors.
• An instrument commonly used to
measure the amount of light emitted by
a phosphor is a scintillation counter. It
converts the light to an electronic
response for measurement.
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Chemistry

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 Radiotracers

• Radiotracers are radioisotopes used to

study a chemical reaction.
• An element can be followed through a
reaction to determine its path and better
understand the mechanism of a
chemical reaction.

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Chemistry

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Medical Application of Radiotracers
• Radiotracers have found wide diagnostic use in
medicine.
• Radioisotopes are administered to a patient (usually
intravenously) and followed. Certain elements collect
more in certain tissues, so an organ or tissue type can
be studied based on where the radioactivity collects.

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Chemistry

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 Positron Emission Tomography
(PET Scan)
• A compound labeled with
a positron emitter is
injected into a patient.
• Blood flow, oxygen and
glucose metabolism, and
other biological functions
can be studied.
• Labeled glucose is used
to study the brain, as
seen in the figure to
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the right. Chemistry

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 Energy in Nuclear Reactions

• There is a tremendous amount of

energy stored in nuclei.
• Einstein’s famous equation, E = mc2,
relates directly to the calculation of
this energy.

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Chemistry

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 Energy in Nuclear Reactions
To show the enormous difference in energy for
nuclear reactions, the mass change
associated with the α-decay of 1 mol of U-238
to Th-234 is –0.0046 g.
The change in energy, ΔE, is then
ΔE = (Δm)c2
E = (–4.6 × 10–6 kg)(3.00 × 108 m/s)2
E = –4.1 × 1011 J
(Note: the negative sign means heat is released.) Nuclear
Chemistry

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 Mass Defect
• Where does this energy come from?
• The masses of nuclei are always less than those
of the individual parts.
• This mass difference is called the mass defect.
• The energy needed to separate a nucleus into its
nucleons is called the nuclear binding energy.

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Chemistry

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Effects of Nuclear Binding Energy
on Nuclear Processes
• Dividing the binding energy
by the number of nucleons
gives a value that can be
compared.
• Heavy nuclei gain stability
and give off energy when
they split into two smaller
nuclei. This is fission.
• Lighter nuclei emit great
amounts of energy by being
Nuclear
combined in fusion. Chemistry

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 Nuclear Fission
• Commercial nuclear power plants use fission.
• Heavy nuclei can split in many ways. The
equations below show two ways U-235 can
split after bombardment with a neutron.

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Chemistry

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 Nuclear Fission

• Bombardment of the radioactive nuclide with a

neutron starts the process.
• Neutrons released in the transmutation strike other
nuclei, causing their decay and the production of
more neutrons.
• This process continues in what we call a nuclear
Nuclear
chain reaction. Chemistry

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 Nuclear Fission

• The minimum mass that must be present for a chain

reaction to be sustained is called the critical mass.
• If more than critical mass is present (supercritical
mass), an explosion will occur. Weapons were
created by causing smaller amounts to be forced
together to create this mass. Nuclear
Chemistry

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 Nuclear Reactors
In nuclear reactors, the heat generated by the
reaction is used to produce steam that turns a
turbine connected to a generator. Otherwise, the
plant is basically the same as any power plant.

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Chemistry

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 Nuclear Reactors
• The reactor core consists
of fuel rods, control rods,
moderators, and coolant.
• The control rods block the
paths of some neutrons,
keeping the system from
reaching a dangerous
supercritical mass.

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Chemistry

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 Nuclear Waste
• Reactors must be stopped periodically to
replace or reprocess the nuclear fuel.
• They are stored in pools at the reactor site.
• The original intent was that this waste
would then be transported to reprocessing
or storage sites.
• Political opposition to storage site location
and safety challenges for reprocessing
have led this to be a major social problem.
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Chemistry

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 Nuclear Fusion
• When small atoms are combined, much energy is
released.
• If it were possible to easily produce energy by this
method, it would be a preferred source of energy.
• However, extremely high temperatures and
pressures are needed to cause nuclei to fuse.
• This was achieved using an atomic bomb to initiate
fusion in a hydrogen bomb. Obviously, this is not an
acceptable approach to producing energy.

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Chemistry

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 Radiation in the Environment
• We are constantly exposed to radiation.
• Ionizing radiation is more harmful to living
systems than nonionizing radiation, such as
radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation.
• Since most living tissue is ~70% water, ionizing
radiation is that which causes water to ionize.
• This creates unstable, very reactive OH radicals,
which result in much cell damage.

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Chemistry

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 Damage to Cells
• The damage to cells
depends on the type of
radioactivity, the length of
exposure, and whether the
source is inside or outside
the body.
• Outside the body, gamma
rays are most dangerous.
• Inside the body, alpha
radiation can cause
most harm. Nuclear
Chemistry

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 Exposure
• We are constantly exposed to radiation. What
amount is safe?
• Setting standards for safety is difficult.
• Low-level, long-term exposure can cause
health issues.
• Damage to the growth-regulation mechanism of
cells results in cancer.

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Chemistry

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 Radiation Dose
• Two units are commonly used to measure exposure
to radiation:
 Gray (Gy): absorption of 1 J of energy per kg of
tissue
 Rad (for radiation absorbed dose): absorption of
0.01 J of energy per kg of tissue (100 rad = 1 Gy)
• Not all forms of radiation harm tissue equally. A
relative biological effectiveness (RBE) is used to
show how much biological effect there is.
• The effective dose is called the rem (SI unit Sievert;
1 Sv = 100 rem)
• # of rem = (# of rad) (RBE) Nuclear
Chemistry

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 Short-Term Exposure
• 600 rem is fatal to most humans.
• Average exposure per year is about 360 mrem.

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Chemistry

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 Radon
• Radon-222 is a decay product of uranium-238,
which is found in rock formations and soil.
• Most of the decay products of uranium remain in
the soil, but radon is a gas.
• When breathed in, it can
cause much harm, since
it produces alpha particles,
which have a high RBE.
• It is estimated to
contribute to 10% of all
lung cancer deaths in
the United States.
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Chemistry

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