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Nuclear chemistry

Nuclear chemistry. Artificial Transmutations. Radioactive decay occurs naturally in many elements. Alpha, beta and positron decay all occur naturally, (with out any help from humans) because many elements are naturally unstable. Can normally stable elements be made to decay?.

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Nuclear chemistry

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  1. Nuclear chemistry Artificial Transmutations

  2. Radioactive decay occurs naturally in many elements Alpha, beta and positron decay all occur naturally, (with out any help from humans) because many elements are naturally unstable

  3. Can normally stable elementsbe made to decay? Yes! • This is called artificial (caused by humans) transmutation

  4. Artificial transmutation There are 2 kinds of artificial transmutations First kind: collide a charged particle with a stable atom at high speed (lots of energy)

  5. This is done in buildings/machines known as “accelerators” “cyclotrons” or “synchrotrons”

  6. Stanford U. Linear accelerator

  7. Cyclotron

  8. Synchrotron

  9. Artificial Transmutations Be is bombarded with a helium nucleus, forming carbon and a neutron

  10. Artificial transmutations The second kind: Bombard a stable atom with a neutron Often the neutron can be “captured” by the stable nucleus

  11. Artificial transmutations 239 238 U + n U 1 92 92 0 32 32 1 S + n P + H 1 1 16 15 0

  12. Telling the difference between natural and artificial transmutations • Natural: A single atom decays into a radioactive particle and a daughter atom • Artificial: There are two reactants: a fast moving particle collides with another atom

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