Radioactivity

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What is the number of neutrons in an element?
Not fixed
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What does every atom of a particular element have?
The same number of protons in its nucleus. The number of neutrons is not.
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What do many elements have a few different types of?
Isotopes
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What are isotopes?
Atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
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What happens if the nucleus is unstable?
It decays and emits radiation
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What radiation do radioactive elements emit?
Ionising radiation
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What do unstable atoms do?
Decay at random (it is unpredictable).
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What is the decay of unstable atoms not effected by?
Physical conditions or chemical processes
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What are the three types of ionising radiation?
Alpha, Beta and Gamma
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What can ionising radiation cause?
The atom to change into a new element
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What can ionising radiation cause to happen apart from changing the atom into a new element?
It can transfer enough energy to break an atom/molecule into ions. These new ions can go onto to partake in other chemical reactions.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What does every atom of a particular element have?

Back

The same number of protons in its nucleus. The number of neutrons is not.

Card 3

Front

What do many elements have a few different types of?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What are isotopes?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What happens if the nucleus is unstable?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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