POWERPOINT PRESENTATION RADIOACTIVE DECAY.pptx

PPT OF RADIOACTIVE DECAY

1. NUCLEAR REACTIONS By: Frician Bernadette M. Muyco

2. RADIOACTIVE DECAY is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. a material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive.

3. 3 TYPES OF RADIOACTIVE DECAY ALPHA DECAY ( a- decay) –release of a helium nucleus with two protons and two neutrons. The decaying element loses two protons from its atomic number and four nucleons from its atomic mass.

4. Example: 238 234 4 92 90 2 Reactant Product U TH + He

5. 2 . BETA DECAY ( β-decay) – release of an electron from a neutron which results in a neutron becoming a proton. The decaying element gains a proton in its atomic number and the atomic mass stays the same. Example: 131 131 0 53 54 -1 I Xe + e

6. 3 . GAMMA DECAY (y-decay) – release of an electron from a neutron which results in a neutron becoming a proton. The decaying element gains a proton in its atomic number and the atomic mass stays the same. Example: 137 137 0 56 56 0 Ba Ba + y