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What characteristics of radioactivity show it to be nuclear in origin and not atomic?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Radioactivity is not affected by any chemical or physical property. So it’s practical origin in nuclear not atomic

Step by step solution

01

Definition of radioactivity

The phenomenon of radioactivity is the spontaneous breakdown of energetically unstable atomic nuclei into more stable atomic nuclei.

02

 Characteristics of radioactivity

The spontaneous emission of \({\rm{\alpha }}\)- particles, \({\rm{\beta }}\) particles or \({\rm{\gamma - }}\)radiation from the nuclei of some elements is called radioactivity. This phenomenon was discovered by Becquerel. The emitted radiations are called nuclear radiation and the element emitting these radiations is called radioactive element.

Radioactivity is not affected by any chemical or physical property. Naturally occurring radioactive nuclides are heavy elements like uranium,thorium,radium etc. They are independent of temperature or ionization of atom. Also the energy poses by these radiations is more than the atomic energy. These are some of the experimental evidences shows that radioactivity is nuclear in origin.

Therefore, Radioactivity is not affected by any chemical or physical property.so its practical origin in nuclear not atomic

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Most popular questions from this chapter

a) Natural potassium contains \({}^{{\rm{40}}}{\rm{K}}\), which has a half-life of \(1.277 \times {10^9}\,{\rm{y}}\). What mass of \({}^{{\rm{40}}}{\rm{K}}\) in a person would have a decay rate of \(4140\,{\rm{Bq}}\)? (b) What is the fraction of \({}^{{\rm{40}}}{\rm{K}}\) in natural potassium, given that the person has \({\rm{140g}}\) in his body? (These numbers are typical for a \({\rm{70}}\)-kg adult.)

Radioactivity depends on the nucleus and not the atom or its chemical state. Why, then, is one kilogram of uranium more radioactive than one kilogram of uranium hexafluoride?

The Galileo space probe was launched on its long journey past several planets in 1989, with an ultimate goal of Jupiter. Its power source is\(11.0{\rm{\;}}\,{\rm{kg}}\)of \(^{{\rm{238}}}{\rm{Pu}}\), a by-product of nuclear weapons plutonium production. Electrical energy is generated thermoelectrically from the heat produced when the\({\rm{5}}{\rm{.59}}\,{\rm{MeV\alpha }}\)particles emitted in each decay crash to a halt inside the plutonium and its shielding. The half-life of\(^{{\rm{238}}}{\rm{Pu}}\)is\(87.7\)years.

  1. What was the original activity of the\(^{{\rm{238}}}{\rm{Pu}}\)in Becquerel?
  2. What power was emitted in kilowatts?
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(a) A solid material with low density composed of low-mass atoms.

(b) A gas composed of high-mass atoms.

(c) A gas composed of low-mass atoms.

(d) A solid with high density composed of high-mass atoms.

(a) Calculate the activity \({\rm{R}}\) in curies of \(1.00\,{\rm{g}}\) of \({}^{{\rm{226}}}{\rm{Ra}}\). (b) Discuss why your answer is not exactly \(1.00\,{\rm{Ci}}\), given that the curie was originally supposed to be exactly the activity of a gram of radium.

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