CHAPTER - 13

NUCLEI
 INTRODUCTION
•The nucleus which is the core of the atom,which consists of
protons and neutrons.

•Experiments on scattering of α-particles demonstrated

that the radius of a nucleus was smaller than the radius of
an atom by a factor of about 10 .
4

• But,the nucleus contains most (more than 99.9%) of the

mass of an atom.
 Measurement of Atomic mass unit
•Mass of atom is very small as compared to the measurable
masses which we see around us.

•Atomic Mass Unit (a.m.u) is used to measure mass of an atom.

•It is denoted by u.

•Atomic mass unit is defined as (1/12th) of the mass of the

carbon.

1 a.m.u =(1/12) x 1.992647 x10-26 kg

Where 1.992647 x10-26 = mass of 1 carbon atom.

1 a.m.u =1.67 x10-27 kg

 Discovery of Neutron

•Chadwick was awarded the 1935 Nobel Prize in Physics

for his discovery of the neutron.

•A free neutron, unlike a free proton, is unstable.

•It decays into a proton, an electron and a antineutrino

(another elementary particle), and has a mean life of
about 1000s.

•It is, however, stable inside the nucleus.

•Nuclear species or nuclides are shown by the
notation ZA X.
where
•X is the chemical symbol of the species.
•Z - atomic number = number of protons
• N - neutron number = number of neutrons
• A - mass number = Z + N = total number of
protons and neutrons(nucleons)
 Nuclei types
Isotopes: - Two nuclei with the same atomic number and
different mass number are isotopes of each other.
For example: -(1) There are 3 isotopes of carbon(C)
having same atomic number 6 but their mass numbers
are different i.e. 12,13 and 14.
(126C), (136C), (146C).

(2)Hydrogen has three naturally occurring isotopes,

sometimes denoted 1H (protium), 2H(deuterium),
and 3H(tritium).
Isobars: -The nuclei which have different atomic
number but same mass number are known as
isobars.

For example: - Nitrogen (147N) and Carbon

(146C)are both isobars as their mass numbers are
same which is 14 but their atomic numbers are 7
and 6 respectively.
Isotones: -Isotones are those nuclei which have
different atomic number but same number of neutrons.

For example: -Boron (125B) and Carbon (136C).

Boron: - Atomic number = 5 and mass number =12.

Carbon: - Atomic number = 6 and mass number =13.

But the number of neutrons in Boron = (12-5 =7) and

number of neutrons in carbon = (13-6 = 7) are same.
 SIZE OF THE NUCLEUS

•Rutherford’s scattering experiments proved that the

size of the nucleus is extremely small.

•It was found that the radius of a nucleus(R) of mass

number A is given as
R=R0A1/3
where A = mass number and R0=constant.

R 0  1.210
15
m
 R=R0A1/3
Volume of a nucleus is ∝ to the mass number.

V =(4/3)πR3 , Also R ∝(A)1/3

=> (R)3∝A

Therefore V ∝ (R) 3∝ A

Density = mass/volume

•Thus the density of nucleus is a constant, independent of A,

for all nuclei.
R=R0A1/3
 MASS-ENERGY AND NUCLEAR BINDING ENERGY

Mass - Energy
 Einstein showed from his theory special relativity that it
is necessary to treat mass as another form of energy.

 Einstein gave the famous mass-energy equivalence relation

E = mc2
where m is the mass and c is the velocity of light
 Experimental verification of the Einstein’s mass-energy
relation has been achieved in the study of nuclear
reactions amongst nucleons, nuclei, electrons and other
more recently discovered particles.

 In a reaction the conservation law of energy states that

the initial energy and final energy are equal provided
the energy associated with mass is also included. This
concept is important in understanding nuclear masses
and the interaction of nuclei with one another.
 Nuclear binding energy

The nucleus is made up of neutrons and protons. Therefore it may

be expected that the mass of the nucleus is equal to the total mass
of its individual protons and neutrons. However the nuclear mass M
is found to be always less than this.

Let us consider 168O; a nucleus which has 8 protons and 8 neutrons.

We have
o Since the mass of the oxygen nucleus is less than the sum of
the masses of its constituents, the equivalent energy of the
oxygen nucleus is less than that of the sum of the equivalent
energies of its constituents.
o If one wants to break the oxygen nucleus into 8 protons and 8
neutrons , this extra energy 𝜟Mc2 , has to be supplied. This
energy required Eb is related to the mass defect by
A more useful measure of the binding between the
constituents of the nucleus is the binding energy per
nucleon. (Ebn)
It is the ratio of the binding energy Eb of a nucleus to the
number of the nucleons, A, in that nucleus.