Unit 2 / Matter- Atomic Structure

Radioactivity

1896
Henri Becquerel, a French scientist, found that samples of ore containing
uranium were able to expose sealed photographic film. Somehow, the uranium
was able to give off rays of energy spontaneously. He suspected some unknown
element in uranium ore to be the cause. Becquerel hired Marie Curie as an
assistant to isolate this unknown element which spontaneously gave off high
amounts of energy. With her husband Pierre, Madame Curie began a search
which brought success in 1898 when the Curies isolated a new chemical element
which spontaneously emitted energy. They named it Polonium after their native
country. Four years later, the Curies isolated another substance that released lots
of energy. This new element was called radium. The Curies coined the terms
radiation and radioactivity.

Radioactivity describes the phenomenon where rays or particles are

produced spontaneously by the breaking down (decay) of an unstable atomic
nucleus. If the structure of a nucleus is not stable, the nucleus will eject a particle
or energy in order to reach a more stable arrangement. We say the decay is
spontaneous because we have no control over it. The amount of energy released
in a nuclear change is very large. Atoms with unstable nuclei such as uranium are
found in nature. All elements beyond Bismuth (atomic # 83) are radioactive due to
their heavy, unstable nuclei.

unstable nucleus stable nucleus + particles/energy

It was later (1899) found (Rutherford!) that 3 forms of radiation can come
from naturally radioactive nuclei and that each differed in response to an electric
field. Rutherford used the first 3 letters of the Greek alphabet to name the
particles:

1. alpha () particles + charge; combine with electrons to form He atoms

2. beta () particles charge;high-speed electrons; radioactive
equivalent
of cathode rays
3. gamma () rays high energy radiation; similar to X-rays

Property alpha () beta () gamma ()

Charge

mass

nature of radiation

symbols

relative penetrating power

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 When a radioactive substance emits an alpha or beta particle, it changes
into a new element with different chemical and physical properties.

Radium Radon + alpha particle

We use equations to describe these nuclear (decay) reactions; the

masses and charges of the reactant (nucleus) and products (new nucleus +
decay particle) must be balanced (equal on both sides of the reaction).

226
88 Ra 222
86 Rn + 4
2 He

Types of nuclear reactions

(a) alpha () decay: decay of nucleus produces an particle and a product
nucleus with 2 fewer protons and 2 fewer neutrons
238
92U 90Th + 2 (atomic number < by 2; atomic mass < by 4)
234 4

(b) beta () decay: decay of nucleus produces a particle and a product

nucleus with the same mass and one more proton; the
electron accompanies the nuclear conversion of a neutron
131
53 I 131
54 Xe + 0
-1 into a proton and an electron (10n 11p + 0-1e)
(atomic number > by 1; atomic mass stays the same)

(c) gamma () radiation: accompanies other radioactive emissions and

represents the energy lost to the nucleus when the
nuclear particles reorganize into more stable
arrangements; changes neither mass nor atomic
number; generally, gamma rays are not shown when
writing nuclear equations

(d) positron (0+1e) emission: positron emission produces a 0+1e particle and a
product nucleus with the same mass, one less
proton and one more neutron; the positron
accompanies the nuclear conversion of
a proton to a neutron (11p 10n + 0+1e)
(atomic number < by 1; atomic mass stays the same)

(e) electron capture: nucleus captures an electron from the electron cloud
surrounding the nucleus; in the nucleus, this electron
converts a proton into a neutron (11p + 0-1e 10n)
(as in positron emission, atomic number < by 1; atomic
mass stays the same)
11
6C 5B + 0+1e
11

Chemistry Raleigh Charter High School Dr. Genez 2

 81
37 Rb + 0
-1 e (orbital electron) 81
36 Kr

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