Chapter 19 - Nuclear Chemistry

mass spectrometer

With a(n) ________, the amount of argon 40 can be easily measured.

Plasma

________ is a state of matter that consists of a gaseous mixture of positive ions and electrons.

Radioactivity

________ exists in all elements with an atomic number greater than 83.

isotope of polonium

The ________ 210 (210 84Po), for example, decays spontaneously to 206 82Pb by emitting a particle.

Particles

________ and gamma rays both can take electrons from atoms and molecules in their path, resulting in the production of ions and radicals.

Radicals

________ are molecular fragments with one or more unpaired electrons; they are frequently unstable and reactive.

Molecules

________ can not exist at temperatures of roughly 100 million degrees Celsius, and most or all atoms are stripped of their electrons.

Nuclear transmutation

________ is a type of radioactivity caused by the bombardment of nuclei by neutrons, protons, or other nuclei.

gamma rays

The ________ are extremely short and high energy wavelengths.

atomic orbital

An electron in or out of a(n) ________ is represented by the symbol 1 0 e.

Tracers

________ are isotopes, particularly radioactive isotopes, that are used to track the route of an element's atoms in a chemical or biological process.

protons

The ________ and neutrons in a nucleus are collectively referred to as nucleons.

Argon

________- 40 is trapped in the mineral grid and can only escap when it melts.

Beta particles

________ penetrate more, but less than gamma rays, than alpha particles.

radioactive nucleus' disintegration

A(n) ________ is frequently the start of a radioactive decay series, which is a series of nuclear processes that eventually leads to the production of a stable isotope.

amount of fissionable material

When the ________ equals or exceeds the critical mass, which is the minimal mass of fissionable material required to initiate a self- sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

breeder reactor

A(n) ________ uses uranium fuel, but it creates more fissionable materials than it consumes, unlike a typical nuclear reactor.

positron

Although the ________ has the same mass as the electron, it has a positive charge.

mass defect

The ________ is the difference between the mass of an atom and the sum of the masses of its protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Gaseous argon 40

________ accumulation is used to measure the age of a sample.

potassium 40

When a(n) ________ atom decays in a mineral decay the process of analyzing a mineral sample in the laboratory is therefore melting.

nuclear chain reaction

A(n) ________, which is a self- sustaining succession of nuclear fission processes, is made feasible by this feature.

atomic orbital

Although physically identical to any other electron, the sign 1 0 denotes an electron that originates from a nucleus rather than a(n) ________.