Alpha Decay

The nuclear disintegration process that emits alpha particles is called alpha decay. An example of a nucleus that undergoes alpha decay is uranium-238. The alpha decay of U-238 is

In this nuclear change, the uranium atom (²³⁸U₉₂) transmuted into an atom of thorium (Th90234) and, in the process, gave off an alpha particle. Look at the symbol for the alpha particle: He24. Where does an alpha particle get this symbol? The bottom number in a nuclear symbol is the number of protons. That means that the alpha particle has two protons in it which were lost by the uranium atom. The two protons also have a charge of +2

. The top number, 4, is the mass number or the total of the protons and neutrons in the particle. Because it has 2 protons, and a total of 4 protons and neutrons, alpha particles must also have two neutrons. Alpha particles always have this same composition: two protons and two neutrons. Another alpha particle producer is thorium-230.

These types of equations are called nuclear equations and are similar to the chemical equivalent discussed through the previous chapters.

مواضيع ذات صلة

الخواص الطيفية للاحماض الامينية Spectroscopic of Amino Acids

الاحماض الامينية غير البروتينية Non-protein Amino Acids

الاحماض الامينية النادرة في البروتينات

تصنيف الاحماض الامينية

امتصاص النيوترونات Absorption of Neutrons

طرائق امتصاص الدقائق المشحونة الثقيلة

طرائق امتصاص الدقائق المشحونة الخفيفة

التفاعلات النووية الضوئية Photonuclear Reactions

الاستطارة المترابطة Coherent Scattering

ظاهرة انتاج مزدوج الكترون-بوزترون

تأثير كومبتون Compton Effect

التأثير الكهروضوئي Photoelectric Effect