4/9/2021 Nuclear Chemistry | Chemistry | Visionlearning

Reactions and Changes

Nuclear Chemistry: An Introduction

BY ANTHONY CARPI, PH.D.

Table of contents 

Radiation and nuclear reactions

Half-life
Stimulated nuclear reactions

Terms you should know 

decay : to break down; to decrease over time in size, amount, or force

radiation : particles or energy emitted
transmutation : the transformation of one element into another through nuclear decay or reaction

Traditional chemical reactions occur as a result of the interaction between valence electrons
around an atom 's nucleus (see our Chemical Reactions module for more information). In 1896,
Henri Becquerel expanded the eld of chemistry to include nuclear changes when he
discovered that uranium emitted radiation . Soon after Becquerel's discovery, Marie Sklodowska
Curie began studying radioactivity and completed much of the pioneering work on nuclear
changes. Curie found that radiation was proportional to the amount of radioactive element
present, and she proposed that radiation was a property of atoms (as opposed to a chemical
property of a compound). Marie Curie was the rst woman to win a Nobel Prize and the rst
person to win two (the rst, shared with her husband Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel for
discovering radioactivity; the second for discovering the radioactive elements radium and
polonium).

Radiation and nuclear reactions

https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Chemistry/1/Nuclear-Chemistry/59 1/7
4/9/2021 Nuclear Chemistry | Chemistry | Visionlearning

In 1902, Frederick Soddy proposed the theory that "radioactivity is the result of a natural
change of an isotope of one element into an isotope of a di erent element." Nuclear reactions
involve changes in particles in an atom 's nucleus and thus cause a change in the atom itself. All
elements heavier than bismuth (Bi) (and some lighter) exhibit natural radioactivity and thus can
"decay" into lighter elements. Unlike normal chemical reactions that form molecules , nuclear
reactions result in the transmutation of one element into a di erent isotope or a di erent
element altogether (remember that the number of protons in an atom de nes the element, so
a change in protons results in a change in the atom). There are three common types of
radiation and nuclear changes:

Alpha Radiation (α) is the emission of an alpha particle from an atom 's nucleus . An α particle
contains two protons and two neutrons (and is similar to a He nucleus: ). When an atom
emits an a particle, the atom's atomic mass will decrease by four units (because two protons
and two neutrons are lost) and the atomic number (z) will decrease by two units. The element
is said to "transmutate" into another element that is two z units smaller. An example of an α
transmutation takes place when uranium decays into the element thorium (Th) by emitting an
alpha particle, as depicted in the following equation:

(Note: in nuclear chemistry, element symbols are traditionally preceded by their atomic weight
[upper left] and atomic number [lower left].)

Beta Radiation (β) is the transmutation of a neutron into a proton and an electron (followed
by the emission of the electron from the atom 's nucleus: ). When an atom emits a β particle ,
the atom's mass will not change (since there is no change in the total number of nuclear
particles); however, the atomic number will increase by one (because the neutron transmutated
into an additional proton). An example of this is the decay of the isotope of carbon called
carbon-14 into the element nitrogen:

Gamma Radiation (γ) involves the emission of electromagnetic energy (similar to light energy)
from an atom 's nucleus . No particles are emitted during gamma radiation , and thus gamma

https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Chemistry/1/Nuclear-Chemistry/59 2/7
4/9/2021 Nuclear Chemistry | Chemistry | Visionlearning

radiation does not itself cause the transmutation of atoms; however, γ radiation is often
emitted during, and simultaneous to, α or β radioactive decay . X-rays , emitted during the beta
decay of cobalt-60, are a common example of gamma radiation.

Comprehension Checkpoint

Radiation can result in an atom having a di erent atomic number.

a. True.

b. False.

Half-life

Radioactive decay proceeds according to a principle called the half-life . The half-life (T½) is the
amount of time necessary for one-half of the radioactive material to decay. For example, the
radioactive element bismuth (210Bi) can undergo alpha decay to form the element thallium
(206Tl) with a reaction half-life equal to ve days. If we begin an experiment starting with 100 g
of bismuth in a sealed lead container, after ve days we will have 50 g of bismuth and 50 g of
thallium in the jar. After another ve days (ten from the starting point), one-half of the
remaining bismuth will decay and we will be left with 25 g of bismuth and 75 g of thallium in the
jar. As illustrated, the reaction proceeds in halves, with half of whatever is left of the radioactive
element decaying every half-life period.

Radioactive Decay of Bismuth-210 (T½ = 5 days)

The fraction of parent material that remains after radioactive decay can be calculated using the
equation:

https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Chemistry/1/Nuclear-Chemistry/59 3/7
4/9/2021 Nuclear Chemistry | Chemistry | Visionlearning

Fraction remaining = 1 (where n = # half-lives elapsed)

2n

The amount of a radioactive material that remains after a given number of half-lives is
therefore:

Amount remaining = Original amount * Fraction remaining

The decay reaction and T½ of a substance are speci c to the isotope of the element
undergoing radioactive decay. For example, Bi210 can undergo a decay to Tl206 with a T½of ve
days. Bi215, by comparison, undergoes bdecay to Po215 with a T½ of 7.6 minutes, and Bi208
undergoes yet another mode of radioactive decay (called electron capture) with a T½ of 368,000
years!

Comprehension Checkpoint

All radioactive material decays at the same rate.

a. True.

b. False.

Stimulated nuclear reactions

While many elements undergo radioactive decay naturally, nuclear reactions can also be
stimulated arti cially. Although these reactions also occur naturally, we are most familiar with
them as stimulated reactions. There are two such types of nuclear reactions:

1) Nuclear ssion: reactions in which an atom's nucleus splits into smaller parts,
releasing a large amount of energy in the process. Most commonly this is done by " ring"
a neutron at the nucleus of an atom. The energy of the neutron "bullet" causes the target
element to split into two (or more) elements that are lighter than the parent atom.

https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Chemistry/1/Nuclear-Chemistry/59 4/7
4/9/2021 Nuclear Chemistry | Chemistry | Visionlearning

The Fission Reaction of Uranium-235

Interactive Animation:
The Fission of U235

During the ssion of U235, three neutrons are released in addition to the two daughter
products . If these released neutrons collide with nearby U235 nuclei, they can stimulate the
ssion of these atoms and start a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction . This chain reaction is
the basis of nuclear power. As uranium atoms continue to split, a signi cant amount of energy
is released from the reaction. The heat released during this reaction is harvested and used to
generate electrical energy.

Interactive Animation:
Two Types of Nuclear
Chain Reactions

Nuclear fusion: reactions in which two or more elements "fuse" together to form one
larger element, releasing energy in the process. A good example is the fusion of two
"heavy" isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium: H2 and tritium: H3) into the element helium.

https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Chemistry/1/Nuclear-Chemistry/59 5/7
4/9/2021 Nuclear Chemistry | Chemistry | Visionlearning

Nuclear Fusion of Two Hydrogen

Isotopes

Interactive Animation:
Nuclear Fusion

Fusion reactions release tremendous amounts of energy and are commonly referred to as
thermonuclear reactions. Although many people think of the sun as a large reball, the sun (and
all stars) are actually enormous fusion reactors. Stars are primarily gigantic balls of hydrogen
gas under tremendous pressure due to gravitational forces . Hydrogen molecules are fused
into helium and heavier elements inside of stars, releasing energy that we receive as light and
heat .

Summary

Beginning with the work of Marie Curie and others, this module traces the development of
nuclear chemistry. It describes di erent types of radiation: alpha, beta, and gamma. The module
then applies the principle of half-life to radioactive decay and explains the di erence between
nuclear ssion and nuclear fusion.

NGSS

HS-C5.5, HS-PS1.C1, HS-PS3.A1

Further Reading

Atomic Theory II

https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Chemistry/1/Nuclear-Chemistry/59 6/7
4/9/2021 Nuclear Chemistry | Chemistry | Visionlearning

Anthony Carpi, Ph.D. “Nuclear Chemistry” Visionlearning Vol. CHE-2 (3), 2003.

Top 

https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Chemistry/1/Nuclear-Chemistry/59 7/7