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Chapter 19: Problem 7

Why are the observed energy changes for nuclear processes so much larger than the energy changes for chemical and physical processes?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The observed energy changes for nuclear processes are much larger than those for chemical and physical processes because nuclear processes involve the strong nuclear force, which is much stronger than the electromagnetic force that governs chemical and physical processes. This leads to a larger amount of energy stored in atomic nuclei, resulting in significantly larger energy changes during nuclear reactions compared to those in chemical and physical processes. Typical energy changes in nuclear processes range up to a billion electron volts (MeV), while energy changes in chemical and physical processes only go up to about 10 electron volts (eV).

Step by step solution

01

Nuclear processes involve changes in the nuclei of atoms, including nuclear reactions such as fission (splitting of a nucleus), fusion (combining of two or more nuclei), and radioactive decay (spontaneous disintegration of a nucleus). The energy changes involved in these processes come from the strong nuclear force that binds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus. Typical energy changes in nuclear processes range from a million to a billion electron volts (MeV) per reaction. #Step 2: Introduction to chemical and physical processes#

Chemical and physical processes involve changes in the arrangement of atoms in molecules or changes in the physical state of a substance. These processes are governed by electromagnetic forces between charged particles (such as electrons and atomic nuclei), like the electrostatic force and the covalent bonding. Typical energy changes in chemical reactions are in the range of 1 to 10 electron volts (eV) per reaction, while physical processes like phase changes have energy changes on the order of 0.01 to 1 eV per atom or molecule. #Step 3: Comparing the energy scales and explaining the difference#
02

Comparing the energy scales of nuclear processes and chemical or physical processes shows that nuclear processes involve energy changes that are several orders of magnitude larger. This is because the strong nuclear force, responsible for binding protons and neutrons in nuclei, is much stronger than the electromagnetic force responsible for holding atoms together in molecules. As a result, the energy stored in nuclei is much greater than the energy stored in chemical bonds or the energy associated with physical state changes. When a nuclear process occurs, a larger amount of energy is released or absorbed compared to the energy changes in a chemical or physical process. #Step 4: Conclusion#

In conclusion, the observed energy changes for nuclear processes are much larger than the energy changes for chemical and physical processes because nuclear processes involve changes in the strong nuclear force, which is much stronger than the electromagnetic force governing the chemical and physical processes. Consequently, the energy stored in atomic nuclei is significantly higher than the energy stored in chemical bonds or associated with physical state changes, resulting in larger energy changes when nuclear processes occur.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The most significant source of natural radiation is radon- \(222 .\) \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\), a decay product of \({ }^{238} \mathrm{U}\), is continuously generated in the earth's crust, allowing gaseous Rn to seep into the basements of buildings. Because \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) is an \(\alpha\) -particle producer with a relatively short half-life of \(3.82\) days, it can cause biological damage when inhaled. a. How many \(\alpha\) particles and \(\beta\) particles are produced when \({ }^{238} \mathrm{U}\) decays to \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) ? What nuclei are produced when \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) decays? b. Radon is a noble gas so one would expect it to pass through the body quickly. Why is there a concern over inhaling \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) ? c. Another problem associated with \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) is that the decay of \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) produces a more potent \(\alpha\) -particle producer \(\left(t_{1 / 2}=3.11\right.\) min) that is a solid. What is the identity of the solid? Give the balanced equation of this species decaying by \(\alpha\) -particle production. Why is the solid a more potent \(\alpha\) -particle producer? d. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) levels not exceed \(4 \mathrm{pCi}\) per liter of air \((1 \mathrm{Ci}=\) 1 curie \(=3.7 \times 10^{10}\) decay events per second; \(1 \mathrm{pCi}=1 \times\) \(10^{-12} \mathrm{Ci}\). Convert \(4.0 \mathrm{pCi}\) per liter of air into concentrations units of \(^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) atoms per liter of air and moles of \({ }^{222} \mathrm{Rn}\) per liter of air.

U-2 35 undergoes many different fission reactions. For one such reaction, when U- 235 is struck with a neutron, Ce- 144 and Sr90 are produced along with some neutrons and electrons. How many neutrons and \(\beta\) -particles are produced in this fission reaction?

Write balanced equations for each of the processes described below. a. Chromium- 51 , which targets the spleen and is used as a tracer in studies of red blood cells, decays by electron capture. b. Iodine-131, used to treat hyperactive thyroid glands, decays by producing a \(\beta\) particle. c. Phosphorus- 32, which accumulates in the liver, decays by \(\beta\) particle production.

A recently reported synthesis of the transuranium element bohrium (Bh) involved the bombardment of berkelium-249 with neon-22 to produce bohrium-267. Write a nuclear reaction for this synthesis. The half-life of bohrium-267 is \(15.0\) seconds. If 199 atoms of bohrium- 267 could be synthesized, how much time would elapse before only 11 atoms of bohrium- 267 remain? What is the expected electron configuration of elemental bohrium?

The curie (Ci) is a commonly used unit for measuring nuclear radioactivity: 1 curie of radiation is equal to \(3.7 \times 10^{10}\) decay events per second (the number of decay events from \(1 \mathrm{~g}\) radium in \(1 \mathrm{~s}\) ). a. What mass of \(\mathrm{Na}_{2}{ }^{38} \mathrm{SO}_{4}\) has an activity of \(10.0 \mathrm{mCi}\) ? Sulfur38 has an atomic mass of \(38.0\) and a half-life of \(2.87 \mathrm{~h}\). b. How long does it take for \(99.99 \%\) of a sample of sulfur- 38 to decay?
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