WHAT IS RADIOACTIVITY
First of all before looking at the word radioactivity, we will look at the origin of radioactivity.The phenomenon of radioactivity was discovered by a french physicist Henri Becquerel (1896). he found out that uranium was giving out some kind of rays that can penetrate through thick layers and so lack papers and even affected a photographic plate that is placed on the other side. The phenomenon was called " radioactivity" and the substances that gave rise right radioactivity are called radioactive substances or elements. e.g of radioactive substances are radium, polonium, radon, thorium, ionium ,uranium etc.
DEFINITION: Radioactivity is the spontaneous decay or disintegration of the nucleus of an element during which it emits alpha, beta particles or gamma rays and a release of large amount of energy or heat.WHAT ARE RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTRadioactive elements are those element that spontaneous emits radiation from their atomic nucleus. e.g Radium, Thorium, Radon, Polonium, Ionium etc. TYPES OF RADIOACTIVITY(A).NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY: Natural radio activity is the spontaneous disintegration of the nucleus of an atom, during which alpha or beta particles or gamma rays and heat energy are released. for example Radium _226 mass number and atomic number of 88 decays by emmiting an alpha particle to turn into a new element called Radon which now has a mass number of 222 and atomic number of 86.Gamma radiation is a form of light emmited as photon of energy hf and and has a mass number of zero and zero charge.(B).ARTIFICIAL RADIOACTIVITY: Artificial radioactivity is a type of radioactivity where and ordinary element not radioactivie is made radioactive by bombarding it with radioactive particles e.g phosphorus nuclei which are not stable but radioactivecan be produce by bombarding non radioactive aluminum with alpha particles. The radioactive phosphorus nuclei then disintegrates spontaneously into stable silicon atoms.
PROPERTIES OF EMMITED PARTICLES(a)ALPHA PARTICLES1. it is helium nuclei2 .it has a speed of 5 -7% speed of light3. it has a charge of +24. it is relatively massive5. it is slightly deflected in a magnetic field in a positive direction6. it is large and causes heavy ionization7. it has little penetrating power and can penetrate thin sheets of paper8. it can cause fluorescence in zinc sulphide(b). BETA PARTICLES1. Are high energy electrons 2. they travel at approximately the speed of light3. they have negative charge4. they are relatively light5.They are strongly deflected by electric and magnetic field in a negative direction.6. they have good penetrating power in air and can po penetrate aluminum foil.7.they donot cause fluorescence in zinc sulphide.(c). GAMMA RAYS1.They are electromagnetic waves of short wave length2.they travel at speed of light3. they have no charge4.They have negligible mass5.They are not deflected in electric or magnetic fields6.They have little ionization power and can penetrate in air and solid e.g lead.RADIOISOTOPE : Radio isotope are isotopes that are made artificially by bombarding neutrons , protons or deutrons at ordinary element.WHAT IS NUCLEAR FFISSION Nuclear fission is the splitting up of the nucleus of heavy element into two approximate equal parts with the release of a huge amount of energy and neutrons.WHAT IS NUCLEAR FUSIONNuclear fusion is a nuclear process in which two or more nuclei combine or fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of a large amount of energy.USES OF RADIOISOTOPES1. medicine as radioatherapy2. it is used in industry to study defects in metals and welded joints3. in Agriculture as radioactive tracers and preservatives 4. in geotonigal research for radio dating.
HEALTHS HAZARDS OF RADIOACTIVITY1. it causes generic mutation2. it causes sterility3. it causes damage to the skin 4. it kills a personAPPLICATION OF RADIOACTIVITY1.Agricultural and scientific research2.medical field3.industrial field.
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