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    Radioactivity-5 - Activity-And-Half-Life-1 - Online Learning

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    Shiyamala Subramaniam
    Nuclear fission is the splitting of a large atomic nucleus into smaller pieces, releasing energy. A large nucleus like uranium splits into lighter elements like krypton and barium, along with free neutrons. This splitting of nuclei is used to generate energy in nuclear power plants. Nuclear fusion is the joining of two small atomic nuclei into a larger one, which releases energy. In stars, small nuclei like hydrogen fuse together to form heavier elements like helium. Fusion combines nuclei to form one heavier nucleus and is the process that powers stars like our Sun.

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    Radioactivity-5 - Activity-And-Half-Life-1 - Online Learning

    Uploaded by

    Shiyamala Subramaniam
    149 views20 pages
    Nuclear fission is the splitting of a large atomic nucleus into smaller pieces, releasing energy. A large nucleus like uranium splits into lighter elements like krypton and barium, along with free neutrons. This splitting of nuclei is used to generate energy in nuclear power plants. Nuclear fusion is the joining of two small atomic nuclei into a larger one, which releases energy. In stars, small nuclei like hydrogen fuse together to form heavier elements like helium. Fusion combines nuclei to form one heavier nucleus and is the process that powers stars like our Sun.

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    Nuclear fission is the splitting of a large atomic nucleus into smaller pieces, releasing energy. A large nucleus like uranium splits into lighter elements like krypton and barium, along with free neutrons. This splitting of nuclei is used to generate energy in nuclear power plants. Nuclear fusion is the joining of two small atomic nuclei into a larger one, which releases energy. In stars, small nuclei like hydrogen fuse together to form heavier elements like helium. Fusion combines nuclei to form one heavier nucleus and is the process that powers stars like our Sun.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    149 views20 pages

    Radioactivity-5 - Activity-And-Half-Life-1 - Online Learning

    Uploaded by

    Shiyamala Subramaniam
    Nuclear fission is the splitting of a large atomic nucleus into smaller pieces, releasing energy. A large nucleus like uranium splits into lighter elements like krypton and barium, along with free neutrons. This splitting of nuclei is used to generate energy in nuclear power plants. Nuclear fusion is the joining of two small atomic nuclei into a larger one, which releases energy. In stars, small nuclei like hydrogen fuse together to form heavier elements like helium. Fusion combines nuclei to form one heavier nucleus and is the process that powers stars like our Sun.

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    Activity and half life

    LO: To be able to describe and calculate half


    life of a radioactive substance.
    SC:
    Must – Use the term half-life in simple
    calculations, which might involve information in
    tables or decay curves
    Should – Calculate half-life from data or decay
    curves from which background radiation has not
    been subtracted
    So why are some nuclei
    radioactive?
    Radioactivity- the
    property possessed by
    unstable elements of
    spontaneously emitting
    energetic particles
    (such as beta or alpha
    particles) by the decay
    of their atomic nuclei in
    order to become stable.
    Activity
    • The activity of a radioactive source is
    the number of unstable atoms in a
    particular source that decay per second.

    • It is measured in Becquerel (Bq)


    Example
    • Uranium 234 has an • As the number of
    activity of 231.3 parent nuclei
    MBq.
    decrease the
    activity of the
    • However as it
    sample decreases .
    decays this activity
    decreases as there
    are less unstable But how do we know
    nuclei with in it’s when this decay will
    nucleus. happen?
    https://youtu.be/wj9BzGFao8k?t=3
    Your Task – Graph paper
    • WS - Half Life Challenge.docx

    Go to Term 3 > Atomic Physics >


    WS-Half life challenge
    Your graph should be like this
    This graph
    shows how
    the number
    of undecayed
    dice
    decreases
    with each
    roll.

    This is a
    decay curve
    We can use
    this graph
    to calculate
    the time
    taken for
    the number
    of dice to
    decrease by
    half
    3.8 throws
    Half Life
    There are two
    definitions of half-life.

    1. The time it takes


    Half life = 2 for the number of
    Days nuclei of the isotope
    in a sample to halve

    2. The time it takes


    for the count rate
    from a sample
    containing the
    isotope to fall to
    The half life is always constant. This half its starting
    substance will always taken 2 days to level
    half, no matter the amount.
    Decay calculations –Example 1
    The half-life of a material is 3 hours.
    How long will it take for the activity to fall
    below 12.5%?

    3hrs 6hrs 9hrs


    100% 50% 25% 12.5%

    1 HL 2 HL 3 HL
    Decay calculations –Your Turn
    The half-life of a material is 8 hours.
    How long will it take for the activity to fall
    below 25%?

    8hrs 16hrs
    100% 50% 25%
    1 HL 2 HL
    Decay calculations –Your Turn
    The half-life of a material is 10 hours.
    How long will it take for the activity to fall
    below 6.25%?

    10hrs 20hrs 30hrs 40hrs


    100% 50% 25% 12.5% 6.25%

    1 HL 2 HL 3 HL 4 HL
    Decay calculations –Example 2
    Carbon 14 has a HL of 5730 and is used in to
    calculate the age of objects. A skull is
    approximately 28,000 years old. What proportion
    of C-14 remains?

    5730 11,460 17,190 22,920 28,650


    1/1 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32

    1 HL 2 HL 3 HL 4 HL 5 HL
    28,000/5730 = 4.8 = 5 half lives
    So half 28,000 5 times
    Decay calculations –your turn 2
    Carbon 14 has a HL of 5730 and is used in to
    calculate the age of objects. A skull is
    approximately 10,000 years old. What proportion
    of C-14 remains?

    5730 11,460
    1/1 1/2 1/4
    1 HL 2 HL
    Decay calculations – Worked
    Example
    The activity of a substance is 6000Bq, it’s half
    life is 10hrs. What is the activity after 40 hours?

    10hrs 20hrs 30hrs 40hrs


    6000 3000 1500 750 375
    1 HL 2 HL 3 HL 4 HL
    40 hours is 4 half lives (40 / 10 = 4)
    Halve 6000 4 times
    Decay calculations – Your Turn
    The activity of a substance is 8000Bq, it’s half
    life is 5hrs. What is the activity after 40 hours?

    5hrs 10hrs 15hrs 20hrs


    8000 4000 2000 1000 5000

    1 HL 2 HL 3 HL 4 HL
    40hrs 35hrs 30hrs 25hrs
    156.25 312.5 625 1250 2500

    8 HL 7 HL 6 HL 5 HL
    Decay calculations – Worked
    Example
    A radioisotope has a half life of 15 hours. A sealed container
    contains 8mgs of this isotope. What ratio and mass remains: -
    a) After 15 hours b) after 45 hours

    15hrs 30hrs 45mgs


    8mgs 4mgs 2mgs 1mg

    1 HL 2 HL 3 HL

    a) 1/2 or 1:2(4mgs)
    b) 1/8 or 1:8 (1mg)
    More maths
    This graph shows that
    the count rate for a
    sample decreases from
    600 to 300 to 150 to 75.

    It is possible to work out


    the count rate or number
    of unstable nuclei left
    using an equation
    Count rate Initial count rate (no.
    of unstable nuclei at
    (no. of start)
    unstable
    nuclei after
    n half lives) 2n
    (2 to the power of
    the no. of half lives)
    Worked Count = Initial count rate
    Rate 2n
    Example
    A radioisotope Initial count rate =
    has a half-life of 60,000
    6.0 hrs. A
    sample of this n = 24/ 6 = 4HL
    isotope contains 2n = 24 = 16
    60,000 nuclei.
    Calculate the
    number of nuclei Count rate = 60,000/
    remaining after 16
    24 hrs. = 3750 nuclei
    Nuclear Fission and Fusion
    • https://youtu.be/onkW8BF5I3Q?t=178
    • Watch the video about nuclear Fission
    and Fusion.
    • Based on the video, in your own words
    explain what is meant both reaction
    with aid of diagram.

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