Chapter 28: Nuclear Chemistry
Notes – Part 1: Introduciton to Nuclear Radiation and Decay
Objectives:
1. Differentiate between nuclear and chemical
reactions.
2. Define: spontaneous nuclear decay, nuclear
reaction, parent nuclide, daughter nuclide, decay series & radioisotope.
3. For alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, list
its Greek symbol, its nuclear symbol, its constituent particles, its charge,
and its penetrating power.
4. Balance spontaneous nuclear decay equations
and explain how to balance them.
5. List the products of a spontaneous nuclear
decay.
6. Explain how an electron can be emitted in
a spontaneous nuclear decay reaction.
Text Reference: Section 28.1 - pages 841-844
Chemical Reactions versus Nuclear Reactions
NUCLIDE – the nucleus of a radioactive isotope
Isotopes have different
numbers of neutrons so they have different nuclides.
Some nuclides are less
stable than other nuclides.
SPONTANEOUS NUCLEAR DECAY
Three types of energy released: alpha radiation,
beta radiation, and gamma radiation
PARENT NUCLIDE – initial nucleus in a nuclear reaction or
spontaneous nuclear decay
DAUGHTER NUCLIDE – resulting nuclide in a nuclear reaction
or spontaneous nuclear decay
DECAY SERIES – series of spontaneous radioactive decays
that ultimately result in a stable nuclide
- An unstable
parent decays to form an unstable daughter – which becomes the unstable parent
in the next decay where the parent decays into the daughter – which, if
it is unstable – will turn into the parent and the process will repeat.
- The decay
pattern repeats until the formation of a stable daughter nuclide.
Name
of Radiation
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Alpha
Radiaiton
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Beta
Radiation
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Gamma
Radiation
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Greek
Symbol
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What
is it?
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Nuclear
Symbol
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Constituent
Particles
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Charge
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Common
Source
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Penetrating
Power
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Shielding
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Extras:
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Also, POSITIVE BETA RADIATION – it is symbolized _______
- it is a stream of high-speed positrons – nuclear symbol: 0+1e+1
– same mass as beta particle – it is the antiparticle of the electron
Examples of Spontaneous Nuclear Decay Reactions:
Recall: in a spontaneous
nuclear decay – a energy/a particle is emitted and a new particle is formed
Question: How are these
nuclear reactions “balanced”?
ALPHA DECAY – an alpha particle is emitted and a new daughter
particle is formed
23892U
--> 42He + 23490Th
+ energy
usually excess energy is not written
but it is understood to be there
BETA DECAY – a beta particle is emitted and a new daughter
particle is formed
23892U
--> 0-1e- + 23893Np
+ energy
usually excess energy is not written
but it is understood to be there
Sample Problems:
The beta decay of Pa-234
The alpha decay of Po-218
The beta decay of Pb-214
Nuclear reactions involve the nucleus of the atoms and the
subatomic particles in the nucleus. Those particles are the PROTONS
and NEUTRONS.
Isotope versus Radioisotope:
Key Question: Since the subatomic particles in
the nucleus are protons and neutrons, how is it possible for a beta particle
(an electron) to be emitted during a spontaneous nuclear decay reaction?
Chapter 28 - Nuclear Chemistry
Assignment – Part 1: Spontaneous Nuclear Decay
Fill in
the blanks with the appropriate answer to complete the nuclear decay equations.
Classify as alpha or beta decay.
1. 23191Pa
--> 42He + _______________
_______________
2. 23390Th
--> _______________ + 0-1e-
_______________
3. 21084Po -->
0-1e- + _______________
_______________
4. 21082Pb -->
_______________ + 42He
_______________
5. 7533As -->
7534_______________ + _______________
_______________
6. 23590Th -->
_______________ + 23188_______________
_______________
7. 23592U -->
23190_______________ + _______________
_______________
8. 24594Pu -->
_______________ + 24595_______________
_______________
For 9 – 14, complete the nuclear equations in this decay series.
Use the product of the one reaction as the reactant in the next reaction.
9. 23592U -->
42He + _______________
10. _______________ -->
0-1e- + _______________
11. _______________ -->
42He + _______________
12. _______________ -->
0-1e- + _______________
13. _______________ -->
42He + _______________
14. _______________ -->
42He + _______________
15. How are the mass numbers and the atomic numbers affected
by the loss of a:
a. beta particle?
b. alpha particle?
c. gamma ray?
16. Write the equation for the radioactive decay of fluroine-17
by positron emission.
17. Why does the relatively large mass and charge of an
alpha particle limit its penetrating ability?
18. Bismuth-211 is a radioisotope. it decays by alpha
emission to yield yet another radioisotope, which emits beta radiation as
it decays to a stable isotope. Write equations for the nuclear reactions
and name the decay products.
Chapter 28: Nuclear Chemistry
Notes – Part 2: Radiation and Initiated Nuclear Radiation
Objectives:
Differentiate between
ionizing and nonionizing radiation, list examples of both and list what
cells they most affect.
Explain how to initiate
a nuclear reaction and state why it may be done.
Write and balance initiated
nuclear reactions and explain the rule used in balancing.
Define, explain, and identify:
ionizing and nonionizing radiation, transmutation, electromagnetic radiation,
band of stability, and transuranium element.
Explain why it is impossible
to get rid of all radiation.
Text Reference: Section 28.2 (Part) pages 845-846 and
850-851
Recap Question: If a nuclear
reaction occurs in the nucleus, how can there be beta emission?
Spontaneous nuclear decay is a reaction that happens without any
prompting. Tremendous amounts of energy are released.
Sometimes,
we want to take a large nuclide and break it into smaller parts.
Why?
Question: How is it possible to cause
a stable nuclide to undergo nuclear decay?
Answer:
Transmutation: the process of changing
one element into another element
(Recall, the identity of an element is determined by the number
of protons contained in the nucleus.)
Radiation: general term for energy or
particles that are emitted from a source and travel through the intervening
medium of space
Examples of radiation: light, heat (thermal radiation),
alpha, beta, gamma
Ionizing Radiation: radiation of sufficient
energy to create ions from the atoms and molecules in matter
Examples of ionizing radiation: x-rays,
gamma rays
When ionizing
radiation encounters matter, it leaves it different than it was before.
Examples:
H2O + gamma --> H+
+ OH-
H2O
+ gamma --> H2O+ +
e-
Ionizing
radiation causes changes in living cells. Some of these changes in
living cells may have no overall effect on the life of the organism; other
changes may affect the life of the organism. Radiation may strike the
chromosomes in the ovum or sperm – the organism produced from than irradiated
cell may be affected in some way that may not be noticed until birth.
Examples of cells most sensitive to ionizing radiation:
bone marrow, reproductive organs, and the cells in the linings of intestines.
Nonionizing Radiation: radiation that
is not energetic enough to create ions in molecules of matter
You canNOT get rid of all radiation. Everything emits
some sort of radiation.
Everything emits ELECTROMAGNETIC
RADIATION.
OTHER NUCLEAR SYMBOLS
The neutron:
The proton:
Chapter 28 - Nuclear Chemistry
Assignment – Part 2: Initiated Nuclear Reactions
Fill in
the blanks with the appropriate information to complete the nuclear reactions.
1. 11H +
________________ --> 10n +
5425Mn
2. 2311Na +
42He --> ________________ +
2512Mg
3. 3015P +
________________ --> 3014Si +
11H
4. 23592U +
10n --> 9542Mo
+ 2 10n + ________________
5. 147N +
42He --> 178O
+ ________________
6. 94Be +
________________ --> 126C + 10n
7. 115B +
42He --> 147N
+ _________________
8. 24594Pu -->
0-1e- + ________________
9. 6329Cu +
21H --> 6430Zn
+ ________________
10. ________________ + 42He
--> 147N + 10n
11. 3115_______
+ 11H --> 2814_______
+ _______________
12. 6329________
+ 21H --> 2 10n
+ ________________
13. 94________ +
42He --> ________________ +
10n
14. 23592________
+ 10n --> 9542________
+ 2 10n + ________________
15. 6329________
+ 21H --> ________________
+ 6128________
16. 6329________
+ 11H --> 10n
+ ________________ + 3817________
17. 63________
+ 21H --> 10n
+ 42He + ________________
18. 3717________
+ ________________ --> 3516________
+ 42He
19. 23994________
+ 42He --> 10n
+ ________________
20. 2814________
+ 21H --> ________________
+ 2914________
21. What happens to an atom with a nucleus that falls outside
the band of stability?
22. Identify the more stable isotope in each pair:
C-12 or C-13
O-16 or O-18
H-3 or H-1
N-14
or N-15
23. What are transuranium elements and why are they unusual?
Chapter
28 - Nuclear Chemistry
Notes – Part 3: Introduction to Half-Life
Objectives:
Define half-life and
list its common units.
Solve basic
half life problems and list the steps required to solve such problems.
Explain why
size has no effect on the time for half-life but it does for the number
of decays.
Text Reference: Section 28.2 (Part) - pages
847-849
Radioactive
isotopes have widely different stabilities. They disintegrate in times
ranging from fractions of a second to billions of years. The atoms
of a sample of a given isotope do not disintegrate all at once; rather they
undergo their particle emissions in a pattern that is statistically predictable.
In other words, scientists cannot predict exactly when a given atom of an
isotope will decay, but they can predict what fraction of atoms in any given
sample of the isotope will decay during s given period of time. (Think
– Life Insurance Companies. They cannot predict exactly who will die
in a given year, but they can predict about how many people in the various
age and health brackets will die during a given year.)
The number
of decays that will occur in a given amount of time depends on the relative
instability of the isotope and the number of atoms in the sample. As
a sample decays, the number of atoms in the isotope sample gets smaller.
As the number of atoms gets smaller, the number of decays gets smaller.
HALF-LIFE – the length of time it takes for a sample of
radioactive material to decay to half its original amount – abbreviated
as t1/2.
The size
of the original sample does not affect the length of the half-life, just
the number of decays that occur.
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10 days
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1 000 000 atoms
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--> --> -->
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500 000 atoms
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(500 000 decays -
50%)
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10 days
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500 000 atoms
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--> --> -->
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250 000 atoms
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(250 000 decays -
50%)
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Calculations and Half-Life
qi
x 1/2n = qf
qi = initial quantity
qf = final quantity
n = number of half-lives that have passed
n = total time / length of one half-life
Half-Life Sample Problems:
Example 1: Rh-111 has a half-life
of 25.0 minutes. You have a sample of Rh-111 with a mass of 150.0 g.
The Rh-111 undergoes alpha decay. (a) Write a balanced nuclear equation.
(b) How many grams of Rh-111 will remain after 6.25 half-lives have passed?
(c) How much total time has passed?
Example 2: A sample of a radioactive
isotope has a half-life of 14.6 days. (a) If your sample has a mass
of 4.75 g, how much would remain after 82.4 days? (b) How many half-lives
have passed?
Example 3: Pt-206 undergoes beta
decay with a half-life of 38.0 minutes. (a) Write a balanced nuclear
equation. (b) If you start with 250.0 g of Pt-206, how much will remain
after 228.6 minutes?
Example 4: A sample has a mass
of 125 g. The sample decayed and its mass decreased to 15.625 g.
How many half-lives have passed?
Example 5: A sample of a radioactive
isotope has a mass of 75.0 g. The sample decayed and after 62.25 days,
its mass was 22.42 g. (a) How many half-lives have passed? (b)
Calculate the length of the half-life of this isotope.
Example 6 A sample contains 1/12
the original amount of radioactive material as it contained when you began
your research. The half-life of this substance is 13.56 days.
(a) How many half-lives have passed? (b) How old is the sample?
Chapter 28 - Nuclear Chemistry
Assignment – Part 3: Half-Life
Problems
On a separate sheet of paper,
solve the following problems using the formulas, as illustrated in class.
Show your set-up, units, etc. be neat and clearly indicate your final
answer(s).
1. Nitrogen-13 decays by beta
emission and has a half-life of 10.0 minutes. Assume you start with
a 12.87 g sample.
(a)
How long is 4.26 half-lives?
(b)
How much of your sample will remain after 4.26 half-lives have passed?
2. Manganese-56 decays by beta emission
and has a half-life of 2.60 hours.
(a)
How many half-lives is 18.56 hours?
(b)
If your sample has an initial mass of 23.45 g, what will be its mass
after 18.56 hours?
3. Iron-59 has a half-life of
45.1 days.
(a)
How many half-lives will Fe-59 undergo in 186.95 days?
(b)
How much of a sample will remain after 186.95 days if you start with
0.400 g Fe-59?
4. You start with a sample that
has a mass of 0.879 g of X-60. After 13.45 years, all but 0.170 g have
undergone nuclear decay.
(a)
How many half-lives have passed?
(b)
What is the half-life of X-60?
5. Iodine-131 has a half-life
of 8.05 days. A patient is given a dose of 20.0 mg of this isotope
to study a possible thyroid condition. How many milligrams of this
isotope remain in the body after 42.3 days?
6. The half-life of Xe-133 is 5.02
days. If you start with 2,510,000 atoms of the isotope, how many atoms
will remain after exactly 5 weeks?
7. An isotope has a half-life
of 0.475 days. If 36.78 g of this isotope were shipped by train from
NYC to California, how many grams of the isotope would be available for
use if the trip took 4.93 days?
8. The half-life of an isotope
is 15.75 minutes. If you start with 1.63 mol of the isotope, how much
of the isotope remains after 119.23 minutes?
9. If you start with 125
000 atoms of Cs-129, how much time must pass until you have only 312 atoms
remaining? The half-life of Cs-129 is 32.0 hours.
10. The half-life of iodine-125 is 60.0 days.
If you had 132 768 atoms of I-125, how many atoms remain after 865 days?
11. Also include - Text - page 865 - Question #49.
Answer the question on the paper.
Chapter
28 - Nuclear Chemistry
Notes – Part 4: Carbon-14 and Radioactive Carbon Dating
Objectives:
List why carbon-14 is useful for dating
ages of artifacts and how it is used.
Explain and write the equations
for the formation-decay cycle of carbon-14.
State the half-life of carbon-14
and its rate of decay in a living object.
Solve various carbon-dating
problems related to carbon-14.
Text Reference: Section 28.2 (Part) - pages 847-849
In a sample of radioactive
nuclides, the decay of an individual nuclide is a random event. It
is impossible to predict which nuclide will be the next one to undergo a nuclear
change. However, you can determine the amount of time it takes for
one-half of a radioactive sample to decay; it is the substane's half-life.
One useful application of half-life is in the determination of the ages of
fossils, rocks, and other artifacts.
Carbon-14 is a radioactive nuclide
constantly produced in the atmosphere. It has a half-life of 5730 years,
and it undergoes beta emission, decaying into nitrogen-14.
During photosynthesis, green plants absorb carbon-14 in the form
of carbon dioxide. A percentage of this carbon is made from radioactive
carbon-14. Once the plant dies, photosynthesis stops, and no more radioactive
carbon dioxide is absorbed. However, the decay of C-14 continues.
Careful measurements of the amount of C-14 remaining in a once living plant
yield the approximate time in history when the plant died.
NOTE: Radioactive carbon-14 is
formed when neutrons in space collide with nitrogen-14 in the atmosphere,
creating carbon-14 and a released neutron. This carbon forms carbon
dioxide. The carbon in the carbon dioxide then decays through beta
emission.
The radioactivity may then
be measured as the number of disintegrations that occur per minute per gram
of substance. The rate changes as the amount of radioactive material
decreases with time. Measurements show that a living plant gives off
15.3+0.1 decays/minute/gram of material containing carbon-14.
a plant that was living 5730 years ago (the half-life of C-14) will have
a rate of decay that is half as large as a living plant: 1/2 x 15.3
decays/minute/gram = 7.65 decay/minute/gram.
The time a plant or animal
lived and died may be determined by finding the decay rate of the carbon-14
in the earthly remains, calculating the number of half-lives that it has
undergone, and then using the half-life of C-14 to determine the length of
time it has been dead.
Example 1: A fossil was found to undergo
C-14 decay at a rate of 3.825 decays/minute/g of C-14. Determine the
age of the fossil.
Example 2: A sample of an artifact has
a decay rate of 157 decays/minute. The mass of the sample is 55.0 g.
Determine the age of the artifact.
Chapter 28 - Nuclear Chemistry
Assignment – Part 4: Carbon Dating and Half-Life Problems
Solve the following problems
on a separate sheet of paper. Show all work, units, set-ups, etc.
1. A fossil was found to undergo C-14
decay at a rate of 5.867 decay/min/g. What is the age of the fossil?
2. You start with 7.00 x 109
atoms of an isotope. After 1.36 years, all but 5.78 x 103
have undergone nuclear decay. (a) How many half-lives have passed?
(b) How long is the half-life of this isotope?
3. A wooden artifact was found
to undergo carbon-14 decay at a rate of 8.956 decay/min/g. What is
the age of the fossil?
4. A set of mummified bones was
unearthed in an Egyptian desert. The bones were tested and found to
undergo carbon-14 decay at a rate of 12.098 decay/min/g. What is the
age of the mummy?
5. Only one-fourth of the
radioactive atoms of a certain isotope are present 20.0 minutes after original
measurements. How many atoms will be present after another 10.0 minutes
have passed?
6. A meteorite was found to contain
1/10 of the original amount of K-40, the other 9/10 have decayed to non-radioactive
Ar-40. Since the t1/2 for K-40 is 1.3 x 109 years, how old
is the meteorite?
7. The half-life of Fr-220 is
30.0 seconds. If, at exactly 12:00 noon, there is 1.00 g of this isotope,
what time will it be when only 4.75 x 10-3 g remains?
8. (a) Calculate the half-life
of an isotope if you start with 2.50 g of the isotope and 0.954 g of this
isotope disintegrates in 2.38 hours.
(b) Calculate
the half-life of an isotope is you start with 2.50 g of the isotope and it
disintegrates to 0.954 g in 2.38 hours.
9. Why might radioisotopes of
C, N, and O be especially harmful to living creatures?
Chapter
28 - Nuclear Chemistry
Notes – Part 5: Relationship Between Energy and Mass
Objectives:
Relate thermodynamic
stability of a nucleus to change in potential energy related to the formation
of the nucleus.
Calculate mass defect,
binding energies and energies of formation.
Explain the relationship
between mass and energy.
Define: nucleon,
binding energy, mass defect, joule, and energy of formation.
Key information:
mass of proton = 1.0078 g/mol = 1.67262 x 10-24
g
mass of neutron = 1.0087 g/mol = 1.67493
x 10-24 g
mass of alpha particle = 4.0026 g/mol
= 6.64884 x 10-24 g
mass of electron = 5.48580 x 10-4
g/mol = 9.10939 x 10-28 g
We can determine the thermodynamic
stability of a nucleus by calculating the change in potential energy that
would occur if that nucleus were formed from its constituent particles and
comparing that mass to its actual mass.
For example, write the equation that represents the formation of
the O-16 nucleus:
Calculate the hypothetical mass of the O-16 nucleus as it is formed
from its constituent nucleons:
Now the energy change associated with this process may be calculated by
comparing the theoretical mass with the actual mass of the nucleus.
The actual mass of the O-16 nucleus is 2.65535 x 10-23
g. Find the difference between these two masses (the actual mass of
the nucleus and the theoretical mass of its constituent particles).
This is products – reactants of the formation equation, above.
So, _______________ g of mass would be lost when 1 nucleus of O-16
was formed from its constituent nucleons.
NOTE:
There is a loss of mass during normal chemical changes. The energy
changes are small enough during these chemical changes that the corresponding
mass changes are not detectable, due in large part to the negligible mass
of the electron.
Now, how is this information used to determine the energy change
that accompanies this process?
The answer is found in the work of Albert Einstein. Einstein’s
Theory of Relativity showed that energy and matter are interconnected.
Energy may be considered a form of matter. His famous equation,
E = mc2, gives the relationship between a quantity of energy and
the mass associated with it. When a system gains or loses energy, it
also gains or loses a quantity of mass. Thus, the mass of
a nucleus is less than that of its component nucleons because the process
is so very exothermic.
MASS DEFECT – difference in mass between the nucleus
and its component. It equals the products – reactants.
E = mc2
E = _________________________
with a unit of _________________________.
m =
_________________________ with a unit of _________________________.
c =
_________________________ with a value and unit of _________________________.
A negative sign for the value of E indicates that the process is
exothermic. Energy, and mass, is lost from the system.
The energy change observed for nuclear processes are extremely
large compared to those observed for chemical and physical changes.
The nuclear processes constitute a potentially valuable energy resource.
Example 1: Calculate the energy released
when 1 mole of O-16 nuclei is formed from constituent particles.
Frequently, the thermodynamic stability of a particular nucleus
is represented as energy released per nucleon. Calculate the
energy per nucleon for the formation of 1 mole of O-16.
The negative sign indicates that the process is exothermic.
This makes sense since putting nucleons together is less energetic than when
they are free. They are more stable together than when they are running
free.
In a similar sense, the process
of decomposing a nuclei into its components would require energy be taken
in, an endothermic process. The difference between the formation
and the breaking down of a nucleus is just the sign of the energy associated
with it. Formation is exothermic (negative sign) while breaking it
down is endothermic (positive sign). The numeric value of the energy
is the same.
BINDING ENERGY – energy required to decompose a nucleus
into its components – generally endothermic
The more stable the nuclei,
the more energy per nucleon would be required to decompose it. The
most stable nuclei known is Fe-56.
Energy absorbed to decompose a nucleus may also be found using
E = mc2. Just remember to write the equation correctly
and that mass defect = products – reactants.
Example 2: A nuclide of Po-211 decays
spontaneously through alpha emission. (a) Write the nuclear decay
equation. (b) Calculate the mass defect. (c) Calculate the energy
for the decay of a Po-211 nuclide. (d) Calculate the energy for the
decay of 1 mole of Po-211. (e) Calculate the energy per nucleon for
the decay of a nuclide of Po-211. (f) Calculate the energy in kilojoules
for the formation of this Po-211 nuclide from the daughter nuclide by the
capture of 1 alpha particle.
Mass of Po-211
= 3.50476 x 10-22 g; Mass of daughter nuclide = 3.43812 x 10-22
g
Chapter 28 - Nuclear Chemistry
Assignment – Part 5: Relationship Between Energy and Mass
Answer the following questions.
Show ALL work, units, set-ups, and everything you know you need. You
will need to do your work on a separate sheet of paper. Be NEAT!!!
Key information:
mass of proton = 1.0078 g/mol
= 1.67262 x 10-24 g
mass of
neutron = 1.0087 g/mol = 1.67493 x 10-24 g
mass of
alpha particle = 4.0026 g/mol = 6.64884 x 10-24 g
mass of
electron = 5.48580 x 10-4 g/mol = 9.10939 x 10-28
g
1. The sun radiated 3.90 x 1023
joules of energy into space every second. What is the rate at which
mass is lost from the sun?
2. (a) The earth
receives 1.80 x 1014 kJ/second of solar energy. What mass
of solar material is converted to energy over a 24-hour period to provide
the daily amount of solar energy to earth?
(b) How
much coal would have to be burned to provide the same amount of energy?
(Coal releases 32 kJ of energy per gram when combusted.)
3. Calculate the binding energy
per nucleon for Mg-24. the mass of Mg-24 is 23.9850 g/mol.
4. Consider the reaction:
21H + 31H
--> 42He + 10n.
Calculate the energy
released per mol of 42He produced.
Mass of H-2 = 2.01410
g/mol; Mass H-3 = 3.01605 g/mol
5. A nuclide of 6731X
has a mass of 67.4352 g/mol. How much energy is released during the
formation of this nuclide from its nucleons? Calculate (a) energy per
mole, (b) energy per nuclei, and (c) energy per nucleon.
6. Consider the reaction:
2 32He --> 42He
+ 2 11H
Mass of 32He
= 5.01002 x 10-24 g
(a) Calculate
the mass defect.
(b) Calculate
the energy produced per nuclide of 42He produced.
(c) Calculate
the energy produced per nucleon of 42He produced.
7. Isotope X has 197 neutrons
and 135 protons.
(a) Write
the equation for the formation of the isotope from its constituent particles.
(b) Calculate
the hypothetical mass of X-332 formed from protons and neutrons.
(c) The
actual mass of X-332 nuclide is 5.51591 x 10-22 g. Calculate
mass defect for the formation of X-332.
(d) Calculate
the energy formed when 1 nuclide of X-332 is produced.
(e) Calculate
the energy formed when 1 mole of X-332 is produced.
(f)
Calculate the energy formed from the formation of 1 mole of X-332 in
J/nucleon.