CHEM120 OL, Week 6 Lab

CHEM120

10-6-2020

OL Lab 10: Nuclear Chemistry

Objectives:

 Identify the differences between chemical reactions and nuclear reactions.

 Identify the concept of radioactive decay.

 Identify the nuclear changes associated with alpha, beta or gamma decay.

 Write the products of nuclear reactions involving alpha, beta or gamma

emissions.

 Explain the concept of half-lives and complete half-life calculations.

Not all atoms are stable. When atoms are born in a nuclear reactor, whether it be the

heart of a star or a power plant, a portion of them are radioactive and are referred to as

radioisotopes. Theseradioisotopes break down over time, releasing energy and

transforming into more stable forms in processes known as radioactive decay.

Depending upon the specific radioisotope, this process can be near instantaneous or

take trillions of years.

In this lab, you will explore radioactive decay as you learn about various types of

radioactivity and half-life.

Complete Table 1 below using the textbook, slides, and other course resources.

Table 1:

Type of radiation Give 1 example of each type.

Ionizing X-rays

Non-ionizing Radio waves

electromagnetic Light (visible, infrared, and ultraviolet)

particulate Beta Particles

1

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