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Ch 24 Nuclear Chemis
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| nuclear chemistry | The study of the changes in the nucleus of an atom |
| nuclear reaction | a change in the identity or characteristics of an atomic nucleus |
| radiation | the release of energy during nuclear decay |
| radioactive decay | the release of energy or particles from a nucleus to transition an unstable atom into a stable one |
| unstable | an atom or molecule that contains excess energy and is likely to react, decompose, or undergo changes to reduce its energy |
| alpha decay | an unstable nucleus that emits 2 protons and 2 neutrons and usually also emits a gamma ray |
| alpha particle | the helium nucleus (2 protons + 2 neutrons) which is emitted during nuclear decay |
| beta decay | an unstable nucleus that emits an electron or a positron during nuclear decay |
| beta particle | an electron with 0 mass and a -1 charge |
| positron | a positive electron with 0 mass and a +1 charge; antimatter of an electron |
| gamma radiation | high energy gamma waves that are emitted from the nucleus during nuclear decay |
| strong nuclear force | the force of attraction between neutrons and protons over a very short distance |
| radioisotope | an unstable isotope that undergoes some form of nuclear decay |
| half-life | The time it takes for 1/2 of the mass of a radioisotope to undergo nuclear decay and become a stable isotope |
| decay rate | synonym for half-life; the rate at which radioactive isotope decay |
| carbon dating | a method used to determine the age of a fossil by determining the ratio of carbon-12 : carbon-14 in the fossil |
| uniformitarianism | the theory that the processes on the earth have remained the same (uniform) over millions of years |
| fission | a type of nuclear bombardment reaction in which a nucleus is struck by an atomic particle causing the nucleus to split in two |
| fusion | a type of nuclear bombardment reaction in which a small nucleus is struck by an atomic particle that joins (fuses) with the small nucleus to create an atom with a larger nucleus |
| nuclear bombardment reaction | a reaction in which the nucleus of an atom is struck with other atomic particles causing a change in the nucleus |
| transformation | a process in which an atom is changed from one element into a new element |
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vcanfield
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