UNIT II: Nuclear
Nuclide
Chemistry
Nuclear Chemistry
• The study of reactions involving changes
in atomic nuclei.
• It is used to help determine the
mechanisms of chemical reactions, to
trace the movement of atoms in
biological systems, and to date important
historical artifacts.
History
• It began in 1896 as Antoine Becquerel
expanded chemistry as he included
nuclear changes when he discovered that
Uranium emits radiation.
• Soon after his discovery, Marie and
Pierre Curie further investigated
radioactivity and became the pioneers of
studies on nuclear changes.
Components of matter
• All nuclei contain two types of
fundamental particles called neutron and
proton, except for H-1.
• Nucleons - either of the subatomic
particles, the proton, and the neutron,
constituting atomic nuclei.
• Protons - a subatomic particle with a
positive charge. It is found in the atomic
nucleus.
• Neutrons – a neutral subatomic particle
that is a constituent of every atomic
nucleus except ordinary hydrogen.
• Most elements occur in nature as a
mixture of isotopes. The number of
protons is the same, but it has a
different number of neutrons.
• Nucleus of an atom and is represented by
𝐴
𝑋.
𝑍
• Z is the atomic number of the element or
the number of protons.
• A is the mass number, it is the sum of
the protons and the neutrons.
Nuclear Force
• The force that keeps the protons and
neutrons packed tightly together in the
nucleus.
• Protons repel each other because they
have the same charge.
• Neutrons acts as shields between
protons, minimizing the repulsive force.
Key points
• When the neutron is not enough the
nucleus is unstable for the proton-proton
repulsion is too much.
o The nuclide fixes this by getting
rid of the excess protons.
• When there are too many neutrons the
nucleus becomes unstable from being too
heavy.
o The nuclide fixes this by getting
rid of the excess neutrons.
Radioactivity
• Pertains to the stability of the nucleus.
• Release of nuclear particles by an
unstable nuclide.
• The more particles a nuclide needs to
release, the more radioactive it is.
• The amount of harm a radioactive
substance causes depends on the type of
particle being released, the amount being
released, and how quickly they are
released.
Nuclear Reactions Beta Emission – A beta particle is emittted
because the neutron spontaneously transforms
into a proton and a B particle is expelled
immediately.

Example:

235 0 235
𝑈 → 𝐵+ 𝑁𝑝
92 −1 93

92 = -1+93
235 = 235 + 0

Positron Emission – A 𝐵 + particle is emitted

Natural Radioactivity from the nucleus. A proton in the nucleus is
Alpha Particles – Composite particles consisting converted into a neutron and a positron is

of four protons and two neutrons tightly bound expelled. It is the opposite effect of beta
together. They are emitted from the nucleus of decay.
some radionuclides during a form of radioactive Example:
decay.
11 11 0
𝐶 → 𝐵+ 𝐵
• Penetrating Power: Weak 6 5 1
• Protection: Paper
• Danger: Only if ingested 6=5+1
4
• Helium Nucleus: 𝐻𝑒 11 = 11 + 0
2
Alpha Emission – if the nucleus is too large it Electron Capture – It occurs when an electron
emits an alpha particle or it can undergo from a low-energy orbital is captured by the
spontaneous fission where it breaks into atomic nucleus. The effect is that a proton is
muultiple lighter nuclei. turned into a neutron.

Example: Example:

55 0 55
222 4 218 𝐹𝑒 + 𝑒 → 𝑀𝑛
𝑅𝑛 → 𝑎 + 𝑃𝑜 26 −1 25
86 2 84

86 = 2+84 26 +(-1) = 25
222 = 4 + 218 55 = 55 + 0

Gamma Particles – The most energetic form of

electromagnetic radiation. It has no mass and no
Beta Particles – High energy and high speed charge.
electrons or positrons ejected from a nucleus of
• Penetrating Power: High
a radionuclide during beta-decay.
• Protection: 10cm Lead
• Penetrating Power: Moderate • Danger: Can penetrate into the body
• Protection: 0.5cm Lead 0
• Symbol: 𝑦
0
• Danger: Can penetrate into the skin
0
• Symbol: 𝐵
−1
Example:
2. Write the appropriate nuclear
0 0 0 reaction formula for the process.
1. 𝐵 + 𝑒→2 𝑦
1 −1 0

215 211 4
2. 𝑃𝑜 → 𝑃𝑏 + 𝑎 • Add a beta particle on the
84 82 2
product side
Several y emitted
129 0
𝑆𝑏 → 𝐵+𝑋
51 −1
• Solve for the mass and the number
Balancing Nuclear Reactions of protons

• Rule 1: The sum of the mass of the 129 = 0 + A 51 = -1 + Z

reactants should be equal to the sum of
129 = A 51 + 1 = Z
the mass of the products.
• Rule 2: The sum of the charges of the 52 = Z
reactants should be equal to the sum of
• Write the whole reaction
the charges of the products.
129 0 129
Examples: 𝑆𝑏 → 𝐵+ 𝑇𝑒
51 −1 52
26 1 4
1. 𝑀𝑔 + 𝑃 → 𝑎 + 𝑋
12 1 2
Nuclear Kinetics
• Look for the mass number.
• All spontaneous nuclear decay processes
26 + 1 = 4 + A follow 1st order kinetics.
• Since radioactive decay is a first-order
27 – 4 = A
process, the time required for half of
23 = A the nuclei in any sample of a radioactive
isotope to decay is a constant, called the
• Look for the atomic number of
half-life of the isotope.
number of protons.
First order kinetics formula:
12 + 1 = 2 + Z
𝑁
13 – 2 = Z 𝑙𝑛 = −𝑘𝑡
𝑁𝑜
11 = Z
N = mass at time t
• The final answer is: No = mass at time 0

23 k = decay constant
𝑁𝑎
11 t = time it takes for the reaction to occur
Half-Life

• The time it takes for a substance to

decrease to half of its original amount.

Formula to find the half-life of a substance:

𝑙𝑛2
𝑡1⁄ =
2 𝑘
Examples:

2. If 1-g of sodium-24 has decayed from a

sample that was originally 2g, how old is the
sample? (𝑡1/2 = 15 ℎ𝑟𝑠)

𝑙𝑛2
𝑘=
𝑡1/2
0.0693
𝑘=
15ℎ𝑟𝑠
𝑘 = 4.62 𝑥 10−3 ℎ𝑟𝑠

• Finding t
𝑁
𝑙𝑛 = −𝑘𝑡
𝑁𝑜
1𝑔
𝑙𝑛 = (−4.62 𝑥 10−3 ℎ𝑟𝑠)𝑡
2𝑔

−0.693 (−4.62 𝑥 10−3 ℎ𝑟𝑠)𝑡

=
(−4.62 𝑥 10−3 ℎ𝑟𝑠) (−4.62 𝑥 10−3 ℎ𝑟𝑠)

𝑡 = 15.003ℎ𝑟𝑠

• For more examples please refer to this

link:https://www.chemteam.info/Radioactivit
y/Radioactivity-Half-Life-probs1-10.html