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Chapter 38: Problem 12

Why are fission fragments necessarily radioactive?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Fission fragments are necessarily radioactive because they are remnants of an originally unstable nucleus, and they often have too many neutrons themselves. This results in them also being unstable and hence, undergoing radioactive decay to reach a more stable configuration.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Nuclear Fission

Nuclear fission is a type of nuclear reaction that occurs when the nucleus of an atom, usually a heavy one like uranium or plutonium, is split into two or more smaller nuclei, along with the emission of energy. This is usually instigated by the bombardment of the nucleus with a neutron.
02

Defining Unstable Nuclei

Most of the heavy nuclei suitable for fission are unstable. A nucleus is unstable when it has too many protons, too many neutrons, or an excess energy state. These types of nuclei are prone to undergo nuclear decay in an attempt to achieve a more stable configuration.
03

Explanation of Radioactivity

Radioactivity basically means that the nucleus of an atom is unstable and it will decay to reach a more stable configuration. During this process, it emits nuclear radiation in the form of alpha particles, beta particles, or gamma rays. This is a spontaneous process that happens when a nucleus is not stable.
04

Connect Instability to Radioactivity of Fission Fragments

In the process of nuclear fission, the heavy nucleus is split into two or more smaller fragments. These fragments, having originated from an originally unstable nucleus, are also likely to be unstable themselves due to an excess of neutrons. As such, they undergo radioactive decay, emitting particles and energy until they reach a stable configuration.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

An NMR spectrometer is described as a " \(300-\) MHz instrument". meaning \(3.00 \times 10^{8} \mathrm{Hz}\) is the frequency supplied to its transmitter coil to flip the spin states of bare protons. What's the strength of its unperturbed magnetic field?

Write the symbol for the germanium isotope with 44 neutrons.

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Find the total binding energy of oxygen-16, given its nuclear mass of \(15.9905 \mathrm{u}\).
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