Atoms

Nuclei
And Radiation
Manuela Mantey
Contents of this presentation
● Describe the composition , mass and charge of alpha , beta and gamma
particles
● Understand that an antiparticle has the same mass but opposite charge to the
corresponding particle and that a positron is the antiparticle of an electron.
● State that antineutrinos are produced during B-decay and neutrinos are
produced during B+ decay.
● Understand that a- particles have discrete energies but B- particles have a
continuous range of energies because anti neutrinos are emitted in B- decay
● Represent a- and B+ decay by a radioactivity equation
● Use the unified atomic mass unit ( u ) as a unit of mass.
Radioactive Substances

Alpha Particle Beta - particle

01 Particle of matter
02 Particle of matter

Beta + particle Gamma particle

03 Particle of matter
04 Electromagnetic
radiation
Alpha Particles

Alpha particles are relatively slow due to

its large mass. Alpha particles lose
energy quickly. This means they are not
very penetrative . They can be stopped
by a thin piece of paper and they are
highly ionising . They are identified as
having Helium nuclei ( 2 protons and 2
electrons) .
Beta Particles

Beta particles are very fast electrons and

they are also smaller in comparison to
alpha particles so they cause less
ionisation and penetration further into
materials . They are absorbed by
approximately one centimetre of
aluminium or one milimetre of lead
Cont.
Beta decay occurs when there is an imbalance in the nucleus of an atom
it usually occurs when there too many neutrons. A neutron will then
decay into a proton and an electron will be released. This is known as
Beta minus decay (- ).The proton remains in the nucleus and the
electron is expelled at a very high velocity. In the case where the
isotope formed has more protons such as V-48 . The proton will decay
into a neutron and will release a positively charged electron or positron
. Which is known as Beta plus decay ( + ). The positron which is
formed here is known as antimatter. Antimatter are material made up
of antiparticles of the corresponding particles of ordinary matter . A
positron is an antiparticle of an electron.
What happens when matter meets antimatter

When an antiparticle meets its particle , an example is the

positron meeting an electron in the previous slide. These
particles collide with each other and disappear releasing
energy this is known as annihilation. This annihilation
releases photons of gamma rays (photons are tiny particles
that comprises waves of electromagnetic radiation ).
Gamma rays
Unlike the beta and alpha particles which are particle of matter
gamma particles are photons of electromagnetic radiation . They
have a speed a speed of 3 x 10^8 m/s . It has a very high frequency
electromagnetic radiation ; as such , it has no rest or charge .
Gamma particles do not react with matter as alpha and beta
particles do , because of its high speed. It is highly penetrative
and produces low levels of ionisation . However , gamma
particles can be stopped by lead . It is generally emitted
following alpha or beta decay . After the initial decay stage
which involves alpha and beta decay , the nucleus is left in an
unstable stage but will be become more stable when gamma rays
are released
Composition ,Mass and Charge of particles
Energies in alpha and beta particles
● Alpha particles travel at the same length and they also have
the same kinetic energy
● In Beta decay both beta ( - ) and beta ( + ) decay particles are
released therefore these particles do not carry the same
kinetic energy.
● Because of how small these particles are and how fast they,
move a smaller unit of energy is used which is the
electronvolt .
● One electron volt is the energy transferred when an electron
travels through a potential difference of one volt.
Cont.
● One electronvolt ( 1 ev ) is equal to 1.6 *10^19 J
● The formula is given by Work = Charge * Volts ( W= QV)
● To convert from eV to J multiply by 1.6 *10^19 J
● To convert from Joules to electron volts divide by 1.6
*10^19 J
● This graph is depicting the energy
spectrum for beta decay particles
which involves both the beta - and
beta + particles .
● The particle given off with B- decay
(electron )with no mass and charge
is an an electron neutrino
● The antiparticle given off with B+
decay ( positron ) with no mass and
no charge is an electron
antineutrino
 Equations of radioactive decay ( alpha )

This is an example of alpha radioactive decay. In this

emission ,the Uranium particle with a mass number of 238, and
an atomic number( number of protons) of 92 ,transmuted into an
atom of Thorium which has a mass number of 234 and a proton
number of 90 after giving out an alpha particle ( Helium ) .
Beta decay
Relationship between mass and energy
For example in alpha decay the combined mass of the
daughter nucleus and the alpha particle is slightly less
than the parent nucleus . The lost mass from the decay of
the parent nucleus has become energy . This is where the
alpha particle gets its energy from . The relationship is
given by Einstein’s equation. Energy = Mass*speed of
light. E = mc^2
 THE END
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