Chapter 44 Problems

4. In a Rutherford scattering
1, 2, 3 = straightforward, intermediate, experiment, alpha particles having kinetic
challenging energy of 7.70 MeV are fired toward a gold
nucleus. (a) Use energy conservation to
Section 44.1 Some Properties of Nuclei determine the distance of closest approach
between the alpha particle and gold
1. What is the order of magnitude of nucleus. Assume the nucleus remains at
the number of protons in your body? of the rest. (b) What If? Calculate the de Broglie
number of neutrons? of the number of wavelength for the 7.70-MeV alpha particle
electrons? and compare it to the distance obtained in
part (a). (c) Based on this comparison, why
2. Review problem. Singly ionized is it proper to treat the alpha particle as a
carbon is accelerated through 1 000 V and particle and not as a wave in the Rutherford
passed into a mass spectrometer to scattering experiment?
determine the isotopes present (see Chapter
29). The Note: Atomic masses are listed in 5. (a) Use energy methods to calculate
Table A.3 in Appendix A. magnitude of the the distance of closest approach for a head-
magnetic field in the spectrometer is 0.200 on collision between an alpha particle
T. (a) Determine the orbit radii for the 12C having an initial energy of 0.500 MeV and a
and the 13C isotopes as they pass through gold nucleus (197Au) at rest. (Assume the
the field. (b) Show that the ratio of radii gold nucleus remains at rest during the
may be written in the form collision.) (b) What minimum initial speed
must the alpha particle have to get as close
r1 m1 as 300 fm?

r2 m2
6. How much energy (in MeV units)
and verify that your radii in part (a) agree must an alpha particle have to reach the
with this. surface of a gold nucleus (Z = 79, A = 197)?
Assume the gold nucleus remains
3. Review problem. An alpha particle stationary.
(Z = 2, mass 6.64 × 10–27 kg) approaches to
within 1.00 × 10–14 m of a carbon nucleus (Z 7. Find the radius of (a) a nucleus of
238
2 He and (b) a nucleus of 92 U .
4
= 6). What are (a) the maximum Coulomb
force on the alpha particle, (b) the
acceleration of the alpha particle at this 8. Find the nucleus that has a radius
point, and (c) the potential energy of the approximately equal to half the radius of
238
alpha particle–nucleus system when the uranium 92 U .
alpha particle is at this point?
9. A star ending its life with a mass of
two times the mass of the Sun is expected to 14. Calculate the binding energy per
collapse, combining its protons and nucleon for (a) 2H, (b) 4He, (c) 56Fe, and (d)
238
electrons to form a neutron star. Such a star U.
could be thought of as a gigantic atomic
nucleus. If a star of mass 2 × 1.99 × 1030 kg 15. The iron isotope 56Fe is near the peak
collapsed into neutrons (mn = 1.67 × 10–27 of the stability curve. This is why iron is
kg), what would its radius be? (Assume generally prominent in the spectrum of the
that r = r0A1/3.) Sun and stars. Show that 56Fe has a higher
binding energy per nucleon than its
10. Review problem. What would be neighbors 55Mn and 59Co. Compare your
the gravitational force between two golf results with Figure 44.5.
balls (each with a 4.30-cm diameter), 1.00 m
apart, if they were made of nuclear matter? 16. Two nuclei having the same mass
number are known as isobars. Calculate the
11. From Table A.3, identify the stable difference in binding energy per nucleon
nuclei that correspond to the magic for the isobars 11 Na and 12 Mg . How do
23 23

numbers given by Equation 44.4. you account for the difference?

12. Consider the stable isotopes in Table 17. Nuclei having the same mass
A.3 with abundances over 25.0%. That is, numbers are called isobars. The isotope
select the nuclei that are not radioactive and 139 139
57 La is stable. A radioactive isobar, 59 Pr ,
that occur in more than 25.0% of the atoms is located below the line of stable nuclei in
of each element in nature. Count the Figure 44.4 and decays by e+ emission.
number of these nuclei that are (a) even Z, 139 139
Another radioactive isobar of 57 La , 55 Cs ,
even N; (b) even Z, odd N; (c) odd Z, even
decays by e– emission and is located above
N; and (d) odd Z, odd N.
the line of stable nuclei in Figure 44.4. (a)
Which of these three isobars has the highest
13. Nucleus 1 has eight times as many
neutron-to-proton ratio? (b) Which has the
protons as nucleus 2, five times as many
greatest binding energy per nucleon? (c)
neutrons, and six times as many nucleons 139
Which do you expect to be heavier, 59 Pr or
as nucleus 2. Nucleus 1 has four more 139
neutrons than protons. (a) What are the two 55 Cs ?

nuclei? (b) Is each nucleus stable? If not,

what is the minimum number of neutrons 18. The energy required to construct a
that must be added to, or removed from, uniformly charged sphere of total charge Q
each unstable nucleus to make it stable? and radius R is U = 3keQ2/5R, where ke is the
Coulomb constant (see Problem 71).
Section 44.2 Nuclear Binding Energy Assume that a 40Ca nucleus contains 20
protons uniformly distributed in a spherical
volume. (a) How much energy is required What If? The binding energy of the nucleus
to counter their electrical repulsion increases as the volume-to-surface ratio
according to the above equation? increases. Calculate this ratio for both
(Suggestion: First calculate the radius of a spherical and cubical shapes, and explain
40
Ca nucleus.) (b) Calculate the binding which is more plausible for nuclei.
energy of 40Ca. (c) Explain what you can
conclude from comparing the result of part 23. (a) Use the semiempirical binding-
(b) and that of part (a). energy formula to compute the binding
56
energy for 26 Fe . (b) What percentage is
19. A pair of nuclei for which Z1 = N2 contributed to the binding energy by each
and Z2 = N1 are called mirror isobars (the of the four terms?
atomic and neutron numbers are
interchanged). Binding-energy Section 44.4 Radioactivity
measurements on these nuclei can be used
to obtain evidence of the charge 24. The half-life of 131I is 8.04 days. On a
independence of nuclear forces (that is, certain day, the activity of an iodine-131
proton–proton, proton–neutron, and sample is 6.40 mCi. What is its activity 40.2
neutron–neutron nuclear forces are equal). days later?
Calculate the difference in binding energy
15 15
for the two mirror isobars 8 O and 7 N . The 25. A sample of radioactive material
electric repulsion among eight protons contains 1.00 × 1015 atoms and has an
rather than seven accounts for the activity of 6.00 × 1011 Bq. What is its half-
difference. life?

20. Calculate the minimum energy 26. Determine the activity of 1.00 g of
60
required to remove a neutron from the Co. The half-life of 60Co is 5.27 yr.
43
20 Ca nucleus.
27. A freshly prepared sample of a
Section 44.3 Nuclear Models certain radioactive isotope has an activity of
10.0 mCi. After 4.00 h, its activity is 8.00
21. Using the graph in Figure 44.5, mCi. (a) Find the decay constant and half-
estimate how much energy is released life. (b) How many atoms of the isotope
when a nucleus of mass number 200 were contained in the freshly prepared
fissions into two nuclei each of mass sample? (c) What is the sample’s activity
number 100. 30.0 h after it is prepared?

22. (a) In the liquid-drop model of 28. How much time elapses before
nuclear structure, why does the surface- 90.0% of the radioactivity of a sample of
effect term –C2A2/3 have a negative sign? (b)
72
33As disappears, as measured by its
72
activity? The half-life of 33 As is 26 h. (b) Verify by substitution that this
differential equation has the solution
29. The radioactive isotope 198Au has a
half-life of 64.8 h. A sample containing this N2 t 
λ1  λ 2
e 
N 10 λ 1  λ 2 t
 e λ 1 t 
isotope has an initial activity (t = 0) of 40.0
μCi. Calculate the number of nuclei that
decay in the time interval between t1 = 10.0 This equation is the law of successive
h and t2 = 12.0 h. radioactive decays. (c) 218Po decays into
214
Pb with a half-life of 3.10 min, and 214Pb
30. A radioactive nucleus has half-life decays into 214Bi with a half-life of 26.8 min.
T1/2. A sample containing these nuclei has On the same axes, plot graphs of N1(t) for
218
initial activity R0. Calculate the number of Po and N2(t) for 214Pb. Let N10 = 1 000
nuclei that decay during the interval nuclei, and choose values of t from 0 to 36
between the times t1 and t2. min in 2-min intervals. The curve for 214Pb
at first rises to a maximum and then starts
31. In an experiment on the transport of to decay. At what instant tm is the number of
214
nutrients in the root structure of a plant, Pb nuclei a maximum? (d) By applying
two radioactive nuclides X and Y are used. the condition for a maximum dN2/dt = 0,
Initially 2.50 times more nuclei of type X are derive a symbolic equation for tm in terms of
present than of type Y. Just three days later λ1 and λ2. Does the value obtained in (c)
there are 4.20 times more nuclei of type X agree with this equation?
than of type Y. Isotope Y has a half-life of
1.60 d. What is the half-life of isotope X? Section 44.5 The Decay Processes

32. (a) The daughter nucleus formed in 33. Find the energy released in the alpha
radioactive decay is often radioactive. Let decay
N10 represent the number of parent nuclei at
time t = 0, N1(t) the number of parent nuclei
238
92 U 234
90Th  42 He
at time t, and λ1 the decay constant of the
parent. Suppose the number of daughter You will find Table A.3 useful.
nuclei at time t = 0 is zero, let N2(t) be the
number of daughter nuclei at time t, and let 34. Identify the missing nuclide or
λ2 be the decay constant of the daughter. particle (X):
Show that N2(t) satisfies the differential (a) X  28 Ni  
65

equation (b)
215
84 Po  X  

(c) X  26 Fe  e  v
55

dN 2
 1 N 1   2 N 2 (d) 48 Cd  X  47 Ag  v
109 109
dt
(e)
14
7 N  42 He  X  17
8 O (b)
98
44 Ru  42 He  94
42 Mo

(c)
144
60 Nd  2 He  140
4
58 Ce

35. A living specimen in equilibrium

with the atmosphere contains one atom of 39.
15
The nucleus 8 O decays by electron
14
C (half-life = 5 730 yr) for every 7.7 × 1011 capture. The nuclear reaction is written
stable carbon atoms. An archeological
sample of wood (cellulose, C12H22O11) 15
O  e   157 N  v
8
contains 21.0 mg of carbon. When the
sample is placed inside a shielded beta
(a) Write the process going on for a single
counter with 88.0% counting efficiency, 837
particle within the nucleus. (b) Write the
counts are accumulated in one week.
decay process referring to neutral atoms. (c)
Assuming that the cosmic-ray flux and the
Determine the energy of the neutrino.
Earth’s atmosphere have not changed
Disregard the daughter’s recoil.
appreciably since the sample was formed,
find the age of the sample.
Section 44.6 Natural Radioactivity

36. A certain African artifact is found to

40. A rock sample contains traces of 238U,
have a carbon-14 activity of (0.12 ± 0.01) Bq 235
U, 232Th, 208Pb, 207Pb, and 206Pb. Careful
per gram of carbon. Assume the uncertainty
analysis shows that the ratio of the amount
is negligible in the half-life of 14C (5 730 yr)
of 238U to 206Pb is 1.164. (a) Assume that the
and in the activity of atmospheric carbon
rock originally contained no lead, and
(0.25 Bq per gram). The age of the object lies
determine the age of the rock. (b) What
within what range?
should be the ratios of 235U to 207Pb and of
232
Th to 208Pb so that they would yield the
37. A 3H nucleus beta decays into 3He by
same age for the rock? Ignore the minute
creating an electron and an antineutrino
amounts of the intermediate decay
according to the reaction
products in the decay chains. Note that this
form of multiple dating gives reliable
3
H  23 He  e   v
1 geological dates.

The symbols in this reaction refer to nuclei. 41. Enter the correct isotope symbol in
Write the reaction referring to neutral each open square in Figure P44.41, which
atoms by adding one electron to both sides. shows the sequences of decays in the
Then use Table A.3 to determine the total natural radioactive series starting with the
energy released in this reaction. long-lived isotope uranium-235 and ending
with the stable nucleus lead-207.
38. Determine which decays can occur
spontaneously:

(a) 20 Ca  e  19 K
40 40
 the activity of the other sample. The half-
life of nucleus X exceeds the half-life of
nucleus Y by 77.2 h. (a) Find the half-life of
each nucleus. (b) Use Table A.3 to identify
the two nuclei. (c) Nucleus X decays to
nucleus Y by an alpha-decay chain. How
many alpha-decay events are there in the
chain?

44. The most common isotope of radon

222
Figure P44.41 is Rn, which has half-life 3.82 days. (a)
What fraction of the nuclei that were on
42. Indoor air pollution. Uranium is Earth one week ago are now undecayed?
naturally present in rock and soil. At one (b) What fraction of those that existed one
step in its series of radioactive decays, 238U year ago? (c) In view of these results,
produces the chemically inert gas radon- explain why radon remains a problem,
222, with a half-life of 3.82 days. The radon contributing significantly to our
seeps out of the ground to mix into the background radiation exposure.
atmosphere, typically making open air
radioactive with activity 0.3 pCi/L. In Section 44.7 Nuclear Reactions
homes 222Rn can be a serious pollutant,
The reaction 13 Al , n  15 P , achieved
27 30
accumulating to reach much higher 45.
activities in enclosed spaces. If the radon in 1934, was the first known in which the
radioactivity exceeds 4 pCi/L, the product nucleus is radioactive. Calculate
Environmental Protection Agency suggests the Q value of this reaction.
taking action to reduce it, such as by
reducing infiltration of air from the ground. 46. Identify the unknown nuclei and
(a) Convert the activity 4 pCi/L to units of particles X and X ’ in the following nuclear
becquerel per cubic meter. (b) How many reactions:
222
Rn atoms are in one cubic meter of air (a) X  2 He  12 Mg  0 n
4 24 1

displaying this activity? (c) What fraction of (b)

235
92 U  01 n  90
38 Sr  X  2 01 n
the mass of the air does the radon (c) 21 H  1 H  X  X
1 2 '

constitute?
47. Natural gold has only one isotope,
43. Two radioactive samples consist of 197
79 Au . If natural gold is irradiated by a flux
nuclei X in one sample, and nuclei Y in the
of slow neutrons, electrons are emitted. (a)
other. The two samples have the same
Write the reaction equation. (b) Calculate
initial activity. After 0.685 h, the activity of
the maximum energy of the emitted
the sample containing nuclei X is 1.04 times
electrons.
 53. The radio frequency at which a
48. A beam of 6.61-MeV protons is nucleus displays resonance absorption
27
incident on a target of 13 Al . Those that between spin states is called the Larmor
collide produce the reaction precessional frequency and is given by

p 27
Al  27
Si  n ΔE 2 B
13 14 f  
h h
( 14 Si has mass 26.986 705 u.) Ignoring any
27

Calculate the Larmor frequency for (a) free

recoil of the product nucleus, determine the
neutrons in a magnetic field of 1.00 T, (b)
kinetic energy of the emerging neutrons.
free protons in a magnetic field of 1.00 T,
and (c) free protons in the earth’s magnetic
49. Using the mass of 9Be from Table A.3
field at a location where the magnitude of
and Q values of appropriate reactions from
the field is 50.0 μT.
Table 44.5, calculate the masses of 8Be and
10
Be in atomic mass units to four decimal
Additional Problems
places.

10
54. As part of his discovery of the
50. (a) Suppose 5 B is struck by an alpha neutron in 1932, James Chadwick
particle, releasing a proton and a product determined the mass of the newly identified
nucleus in the reaction. What is the product particle by firing a beam of fast neutrons, all
nucleus? (b) An alpha particle and a having the same speed, at two different
13
product nucleus are produced when 6 C is targets and measuring the maximum recoil
struck by a proton. What is the product speeds of the target nuclei. The maximum
nucleus? speeds arise when an elastic head-on
collision occurs between a neutron and a
51. Determine the Q value associated stationary target nucleus. (a) Represent the
with the spontaneous fission of 236U into the masses and final speeds of the two target
fragments 90Rb and 143Cs, which have mass nuclei as m1, v1, m2, and v2, and assume
89.914 809 u and 142.927 330 u, respectively. Newtonian mechanics applies. Show that
The masses of the other particles involved the neutron mass can be calculated from the
in the reaction are given in Table A.3. equation

Section 44.8 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance m1v1  m2 v 2

mn 
and Magnetic Resonance Imaging v 2  v1

52. Construct a diagram like that of (b) Chadwick directed a beam of neutrons
Figure 44.18 for the cases when I equals (a) (produced from a nuclear reaction) on
5/2 and (b) 4. paraffin, which contains hydrogen. The
maximum speed of the protons ejected was Some fraction of the energy of the incident
found to be 3.3 × 107 m/s. Because the particle is transferred to the compound
velocity of the neutrons could not be nucleus to conserve momentum. Therefore,
determined directly, a second experiment Eth must be greater than Q. (a) Show that
was performed using neutrons from the
same source and nitrogen nuclei as the  M 
E th  Q1  a 
target. The maximum recoil speed of the  MX 
nitrogen nuclei was found to be 4.7 × 106
m/s. The masses of a proton and a nitrogen (b) Calculate the threshold energy of the
nucleus were taken as 1 u and 14 u, incident alpha particle in the reaction
respectively. What was Chadwick’s value
for the neutron mass? 4
He  14
N 17
O  11 H
2 7 8

55. (a) One method of producing

57. One method of producing neutrons
neutrons for experimental use is 7
for experimental use is to bombard 3 Li
bombardment of light nuclei with alpha
particles. In the method used by Chadwick with protons. The neutrons are emitted
in 1932, alpha particles emitted by according to the reaction
polonium are incident on beryllium nuclei: 1
1 H  73 Li  74 Be  01 n
4
2 He  94 Be  12
6 C  01 n
What is the minimum kinetic energy the
What is the Q value? (b) Neutrons are also incident proton must have if this reaction is
often produced by small-particle to occur? You may use the result of Problem
accelerators. In one design, deuterons 56.
accelerated in a Van de Graaff generator
bombard other deuterium nuclei: 58. A byproduct of some fission reactors
239
is the isotope 94 Pu , an alpha emitter
2
1 H  21 H  23 He  01 n having a half-life of 24 120 yr:

Is this reaction exothermic or endothermic?

239
94 Pu  235
92 U 
Calculate its Q value.
239
Consider a sample of 1.00 kg of pure 94 Pu
56. When the nuclear reaction 239
at t = 0. Calculate (a) the number of 94 Pu
represented by Equation 44.27 is nuclei present at t = 0 and (b) the initial
endothermic, the reaction energy Q is activity in the sample. (c) What If? How
negative. For the reaction to proceed, the long does the sample have to be stored if a
incoming particle must have a minimum “safe’’ activity level is 0.100 Bq?
energy called the threshold energy, Eth.
59. The atomic mass of 57Co is 56.936 296 Time (h) Counting Rate
u. (a) Can 57Co decay by e+ emission? (counts/min)
Explain. (b) What If? Can 14C decay by e– 1.00 3 100
emission? Explain. (c) If either answer is 2.00 2 450
yes, what is the range of kinetic energies 4.00 1 480
available for the beta particle? 6.00 910
8.00 454
12
60. (a) Find the radius of the 6 C 10.0 330
nucleus. (b) Find the force of repulsion 12.0 200
12
between a proton at the surface of a 6 C
nucleus and the remaining five protons. (c) (a) Plot the logarithm of counting rate as a
How much work (in MeV) has to be done to function of time. (b) Determine the decay
overcome this electric repulsion to put the constant and half-life of the radioactive
last proton into the nucleus? (d) Repeat (a), nuclei in the sample. (c) What counting rate
238
(b), and (c) for 92 U . would you expect for the sample at t = 0?
(d) Assuming the efficiency of the counting
61. (a) Why is the beta decay instrument to be 10.0%, calculate the
p  n  e   v forbidden for a free proton? number of radioactive atoms in the sample
at t = 0.
(b) What If? Why is the same reaction
possible if the proton is bound in a nucleus?
63. The 145Pm nucleus decays by alpha
For example, the following reaction occurs:
emission. (a) Determine the daughter
nucleus. (b) Using the values given in Table
13
N  136 C  e   v
A.3, determine the energy released in this
7

decay. (c) What fraction of this energy is

(c) How much energy is released in the
carried away by the alpha particle when the
reaction given in (b)? Suggestion: Add seven
recoil of the daughter is taken into account?
electrons to both sides of the reaction to
write it for neutral atoms. You may use the
64. When, after a reaction or disturbance
masses m(e+) = 0.000 549 u, M(13C) =
of any kind, a nucleus is left in an excited
13.003 355 u, M(13N) = 13.005 739 u.
state, it can return to its normal (ground)
state by emission of a gamma-ray photon
62. The activity of a radioactive sample
(or several photons). This process is
was measured over 12 h, with the net count
illustrated by Equation 44.24. The emitting
rates shown in the table.
nucleus must recoil to conserve both energy
and momentum. (a) Show that the recoil
energy of the nucleus is
 Er 
 ΔE  2 supernova, which could be seen in daylight
2 Mc 2 for some days. As it faded it remained
visible for years, dimming for a time with
where ΔE is the difference in energy the 77.1-day half-life of the radioactive
between the excited and ground states of a cobalt-56 that had been created in the
nucleus of mass M. (b) Calculate the recoil explosion. (a) The remains of the star now
energy of the 57Fe nucleus when it decays form the Crab nebula (see page 1066). In it,
by gamma emission from the 14.4-keV the cobalt-56 has now decreased to what
excited state. For this calculation, take the fraction of its original activity? (b) Suppose
mass to be 57 u. (Suggestions: When writing that an American, of the people called the
the equation for conservation of energy, use Anasazi, made a charcoal drawing of the
(Mv)2/2M for the kinetic energy of the supernova. The carbon-14 in the charcoal
recoiling nucleus. Also, assume that hf << has now decayed to what fraction of its
Mc2 and use the binomial expansion.) original activity?

65. After the sudden release of 67. A theory of nuclear astrophysics

radioactivity from the Chernobyl nuclear proposes that all the elements heavier than
reactor accident in 1986, the radioactivity of iron are formed in supernova explosions
milk in Poland rose to 2 000 Bq/L due to ending the lives of massive stars. Assume
iodine-131 present in the grass eaten by that at the time of the explosion the
dairy cattle. Radioactive iodine, with half- amounts of 235U and 238U were equal. How
life 8.04 days, is particularly hazardous, long ago did the star(s) explode that
because the thyroid gland concentrates released the elements that formed our
iodine. The Chernobyl accident caused a Earth? The present 235U/238U ratio is 0.007 25.
measurable increase in thyroid cancers The half-lives of 235U and 238U are 0.704 × 109
among children in Belarus. (a) For yr and 4.47 × 109 yr.
comparison, find the activity of milk due to
potassium. Assume that one liter of milk 68. After determining that the Sun has
contains 2.00 g of potassium, of which existed for hundreds of millions of years,
0.011 7% is the isotope 40K with a half-life but before the discovery of nuclear physics,
1.28 × 109 yr. (b) After what elapsed time scientists could not explain why the Sun
would the activity due to iodine fall below has continued to burn for such a long time.
that due to potassium? For example, if it were a coal fire, it would
have burned up in about 3 000 yr. Assume
66. Europeans named a certain direction that the Sun, whose mass is 1.99 × 1030 kg,
in the sky as between the horns of Taurus originally consisted entirely of hydrogen
the Bull. On the day they named as July 4, and that its total power output is 3.77 × 1026
1054 A.D., a brilliant light appeared there. W. (a) If the energy-generating mechanism
Europeans left no surviving record of the of the Sun is the fusion of hydrogen into
helium via the net reaction
 MeV) and two gamma photons (energies
   
4 H 2e
1
1
 4
2 He  2v   1.17 MeV and 1.33 MeV). A scientist wishes
to prepare a 60Co sealed source that will
calculate the energy (in joules) given off by have an activity of 10.0 Ci after 30.0 months
this reaction. (b) Determine how many of use. (a) What is the initial mass of 60Co
hydrogen atoms constitute the Sun. Take required? (b) At what rate will the source
the mass of one hydrogen atom to be 1.67 × emit energy after 30.0 months?
10–27 kg. (c) If the total power output
remains constant, after what time interval 71. Review problem. Consider a model
will all the hydrogen be converted into of the nucleus in which the positive charge
helium, making the Sun die? The actual (Ze) is uniformly distributed throughout a
projected lifetime of the Sun is about 10 sphere of radius R. By integrating the
billion years, because only the hydrogen in energy density ½ ε0E2 over all space, show
a relatively small core is available as a fuel. that the electric potential energy may be
Only in the core are temperatures and written
densities high enough for the fusion
reaction to be self-sustaining. 3Z 2 e 2 3k e Z 2 e 2
U 
20 0 R 5R
69. Review problem. Consider the Bohr
model of the hydrogen atom, with the 72.
93
The ground state of 43Tc (molar
electron in the ground state. The magnetic mass 92.910 2 g/mol) decays by electron
field at the nucleus produced by the capture and e+ emission to energy levels of
orbiting electron has a value of 12.5 T. (See the daughter (molar mass 92.906 8 g/mol in
Chapter 30, Problem 1.) The proton can ground state) at 2.44 MeV, 2.03 MeV, 1.48
have its magnetic moment aligned in either MeV, and 1.35 MeV. (a) For which of these
of two directions perpendicular to the plane levels are electron capture and e+ decay
of the electron’s orbit. Because of the allowed? (b) Identify the daughter and
interaction of the proton’s magnetic sketch the decay scheme, assuming all
moment with the electron’s magnetic field, excited states de-excite by direct γ decay to
there will be a difference in energy between the ground state.
the states with the two different
orientations of the proton’s magnetic 73. Free neutrons have a characteristic
moment. Find that energy difference in eV. half-life of 10.4 min. What fraction of a
group of free neutrons with kinetic energy
70. Many radioisotopes have important 0.040 0 eV will decay before traveling a
industrial, medical, and research distance of 10.0 km?
applications. One of these is 60Co, which has
a half-life of 5.27 yr and decays by the 74. In a piece of rock from the Moon, the
emission of a beta particle (energy 0.31 87
Rb content is assayed to be 1.82 × 1010
atoms per gram of material, and the 87Sr half-life for the decay of 137Ba using their
content is found to be 1.07 × 109 atoms per data.
gram. (a) Calculate the age of the rock. (b)
What If? Could the material in the rock
actually be much older? What assumption
is implicit in using the radioactive dating
method? (The relevant decay is
87
Rb  87 Sr  e   v . The half-life of the
decay is 4.75 × 1010 yr.)

75. Student determination of the half-life of

137
Ba. The radioactive barium isotope 137Ba
has a relatively short half-life and can be
easily extracted from a solution containing
its parent cesium (137Cs). This barium
isotope is commonly used in an
undergraduate laboratory exercise for
demonstrating the radioactive decay law. Figure P44.75
Undergraduate students using modest
experimental equipment took the data
presented in Figure P44.75. Determine the

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