A BRIEF LOOK
alpha
beta
gamma
ALPHA PARTICLE
4
2 He or
Two protons
Two neutrons
ALPHA DECAY
Uranium Thorium
ALPHA DECAY
http://education.jlab.org/glossary/alphadecay.gif
BETA PARTICLE
0
e or
1
Thorium Protactinium
GAMMA RADIATION
Pure radiation
Beta Decay p n + e
n p + e
C N + e
Gamma Decay
Ni Ni +
(excited nucleus)
RADIATION PROTECTION
ALPHA DECAY
BETA DECAY
234Th 234Pa + 0e
90 91 1
beta particle
GAMMA RADIATION
No change in atomic or mass number
11B 11B + 0
5 5 0
boron atom in a
high-energy state
HALF-LIFE OF A RADIOISOTOPE
decay curve
initial
1
half-life
2
3
8 mg 4 mg 2 mg 1 mg
EXAMPLES OF HALF-LIFE
Isotope Half life
C-15 2.4 sec
Ra-224 3.6 days
Ra-223 12 days
I-125 60 days
C-14 5700 years
U-235 710 000 000 years
EXERCISES
26 hours = 2 x t1/2
Amount initial = 64mg
Amount remaining = 64 mg x x
t1/2 = 13 hrs = 16 mg
HALF LIFE CALCULATIONS
For more complicated cases, a general formula
shall be used:
elapsed time*log 2
Half life =----------------------------------------
log[ Beginning amount/Ending amount]
HALF LIFE CALCULATIONS
Another forms are:
If n= elapsed time/ half life ( also called # of half-
lives),
Then:
Beginning amount= Ending amount X 2n
OR:
Ending amount= Beginning amount/2n
HALF-LIFE CALCULATION
Half life =
Half life = 36.1236 / Half life =
36.1236 /
log (1.8241) 138.38 days
.26105
ATOMIC ENERGY
The use of atomic energy is expected to increase due
to many environmental, political, economical and
other reasons.
However, the issue of safety is still a disputed one,
especially in cases of natural disasters.
Nuclear Energy is released and used as in the
following representation:
http://www.cameco.com/common/flash/fuelcycle/lib
/reactor21.swf
ATOMIC MASS
How heavy is an atom of oxygen?
There are different kinds of oxygen atoms.