Commercial isotopes nuclear equations (1 Viewer)

[eyeseeyou]

Could someone here please explain to me these nuclear equations and the difference between this and a chemical equation

I'm kinda confused

Thanks

http://dc.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/hsc-chemistry-tutoring-year-12-production-of-technetium.png
http://dc.edu.au/wp-content/uploads...ng-year-12-transuranic-element-production.png

 

[BlueGas]

In the first attachment, the reaction on top shows a neutron with the reactant, indicating that it's being bombarded with neutrons (nuclear fission). The bottom reaction is of course, the opposite and thus it's particle acceleration. For the second attachment I can't help you out on that one because I don't remember lol.

 

[eyeseeyou]

In the first attachment, the reaction on top shows a neutron with the reactant, indicating that it's being bombarded with neutrons (nuclear fission). The bottom reaction is of course, the opposite and thus it's particle acceleration. For the second attachment I can't help you out on that one because I don't remember lol.

For the first one is the reactant 98 42 MO?

When the products are added together to form the reactant, does the reactant represent the neutrons (i.e. nuclear fission)

How is the bottom particle acceleration though? ISn't it losing an electron hence how/why would it accelerate if it lost an electron?

 

[jazz519]

A chemical equations are to do with like electrons, like chemistry is pretty much all about the electrons and how these are arranged etc. that give rise to all the different properties of elements. Conversely, the nuclear equations are only regarding the nucleus of an atom, so u are only dealing with protons and neutrons. So the top number is the mass number which is neutrons + protons (and this can be different for a same element like uranium-235 and uranium-238, because it changes due to the atom of neutrons that are present). The bottom number is the atomic number (this cannot change like for one element because it is the amount of protons, so like all types of uranium all contain 92 protons, while oxygen would have 8). Overall, for these Qs u have to balance the top and bottom numbers on each sides, so like the all the mass numbers added on one side of the equation must equal the sum of all the mass numbers on the right side. Same thing applies to the bottom number

 

[eyeseeyou]

A chemical equations are to do with like electrons, like chemistry is pretty much all about the electrons and how these are arranged etc. that give rise to all the different properties of elements. Conversely, the nuclear equations are only regarding the nucleus of an atom, so u are only dealing with protons and neutrons. So the top number is the mass number which is neutrons + protons (and this can be different for a same element like uranium-235 and uranium-238, because it changes due to the atom of neutrons that are present). The bottom number is the atomic number (this cannot change like for one element because it is the amount of protons, so like all types of uranium all contain 92 protons, while oxygen would have 8). Overall, for these Qs u have to balance the top and bottom numbers on each sides, so like the all the mass numbers added on one side of the equation must equal the sum of all the mass numbers on the right side. Same thing applies to the bottom number

Do you need to refer to the periodic table when doing this?

 

[DatAtarLyfe]

First you have to understand the concepts behind what is going on.
In the first link (the molybdenum one), the atom is undergoing neutron bombardment. This involves bombarding an atom with nuclei in order to produce a transuranic element (which is done in a nuclear reactor)

Basically, large fission chain reaction would have occurred to produce these nuclei. An atom (the molybdenum) is then placed in the reactor and the nuclei bombard the atom. Eventually, the atom will absorb one of the nuclei, which increases the atomic mass by 1 (observe the first equation). However, this addition causes the element to become imbalanced due to an insufficient neutron : proton ratio (in this case, a high ratio due to an excess of protons) and as such will undergo beta decay. The absorbed nuclei will diffuse into a proton and an electron, with proton being absorbed by nucleus and the electron being ejected from the atom. As such, the atomic mass remains the same however the atomic number increases, which produces a transuranic element, which in this case is technetium 99m (observe the second equation)

The second link has equations which are not in the chemistry syllabus (it involves positron emission) but is useful if you do medical physics.

 

[BlueGas]

For the first one is the reactant 98 42 MO?

When the products are added together to form the reactant, does the reactant represent the neutrons (i.e. nuclear fission)

How is the bottom particle acceleration though? ISn't it losing an electron hence how/why would it accelerate if it lost an electron?

Ah my bad. For the second attachment, the first reaction that's particle acceleration.

 

[jazz519]

Do you need to refer to the periodic table when doing this?

Yes because it will tell u the amount of protons (bottom number)

 

[eyeseeyou]

Thanks Jazz, BlueGas and DatAtarLyfe

 

[eyeseeyou]

IDK if this is relevant to the thread or not but in this question how is the first answer 50g and what would the second asnwer be?

You have 100g of radioactive C-14. The half life of C-14 is 5730 years

1. How many grams are left after one half-life?
2. How many grams are left after two-half lives?

 

[BlueGas]

IDK if this is relevant to the thread or not but in this question how is the first answer 50g and what would the second asnwer be?

You have 100g of radioactive C-14. The half life of C-14 is 5730 years

1. How many grams are left after one half-life?
2. How many grams are left after two-half lives?

It's common sense really. Initially there is 100g of C-14, after one half life there would be half of 100g, which is 50g. So now you're left with 50g, and after a second half life you would have half of 50g, which is 25g.

 

[eyeseeyou]

So every half life you would need to half the number down every single time?

 

[BlueGas]

So every half life you would need to half the number down every single time?

Yep. 100, 50, 25, 12.5, ... and so forth.

 

[eyeseeyou]

lol thanks